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Proceedings 
of the 

Aging Americans: 


Impacts on Ecology and 
Environmental Quality Workshop 



Photos: U.S. Administration on Aging 























EPA/600/R-05/028 
August 2004 



of the 

Aging Americans: 

Impacts on Ecology and 
Environmental Quality Workshop 


Edited by 


Patricia Bradley 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 


Eric Walbeck 
Jennifer Ghiloni 


Department of Commerce Interagency Agreement # DW 13939208-01 
Perot Systems Government Services (PSGS) 



August 10-12, 2004 
Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 


U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
Office of Research and Development 
National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory 

Atlantic Ecology Division 
Narragansett, Rhode Island 02882 



Printed on chlorine-free 100% recycled paper with 
100% post-consumer fiber using vegetable-based ink. 




been subjected to EPA peer-review and approved for publication but have not CC ’ 
been subjected to agency-level review. The views expressed in these Proceedings 
do not necessarily reflect the views of the Agency. Mention of trade names, 
products, or services does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for 
use. This is NHEERL contribution number AED-04-151. 

The appropriate citation for this report is: 

Bradley, P., E.Walbeck, and J. Ghiloni. 2005. Proceedings - Aging Americans: 
Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop. U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, 
National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Atlantic 
Ecology Division, Narragansett, RI. EPA/600/R-05/028. 

Words and phrases in Glossary are bolded the first time they appear in the text. 





ii 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 









Abstract 



The U.S. is undergoing a dramatic demographic transformation toward 
older adults, spearheaded by the aging Baby Boomers, but projected to 
last beyond the Boomer generation. There has been little discussion in 
the environmental community, however, about the impact of the aging 
society in relation to natural resource utilization and environmental 
quality. 

In August 2004, EPA held a workshop on (1) the change in aging 
demographics over time, (2) key issues (i.e., socio-economic, geographic) 
affecting demographic projections, (3) the potential impacts of an aging 
population on natural resources and environmental quality and (4) the 
research needed to ensure both the desired amenities for this aging 
population and the protection of natural resources. 

A diverse group of individuals, including human demographers, 
physicians and health officials, ecologists, risk assessors, private sector ' 
developers, consultants, and representatives from tribes and NGOs were 
invited to this workshop in August 2004 to discuss potential environmental 
impacts from an aging population and possible research needed to assess 
these environmental impacts. This workshop report is the result of these 
interactions. 

The report is also intended to serve as a foundation for a research 
plan that embodies the excitement and holistic approach generated 
at the workshop to evaluate the effects of an aging population on the 
environment. 

KeyWords: Aging, Baby Boomers, Demographics, Natural Resources, 

Built Environment, Carrying Capacity, Ecological Risk Assessment, 
Gerontology, Human Ecology, Socioeconomics, Migration, Ecological 
Footprint. 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 




Acknowledgements ......vi 

Welcome.. ..... viii 

Constructing a Research Agenda...1 

Manuscripts 


Introduction: Demographic and Lifestyle Patterns 

of an Aging Population - P. Bradley, et al .15 

Preparing for the Aging Explosion: The Impact of “Aging in Place” 

on America’s Communities - 5. Markwood and E. Walbeck ...17 

Later-life Migration Impacts - C. Longino and D. Bradley ...23 

FANBY-ism in an Aging Society: In Search of Arcadia 

Still Searching for Paradise - S. Wright .......29 


Introduction: The Built Environment - P. Bradley ...,.47 

Impacts of Our Built Environment on Public Health - A. Dearry .49 

Baby Boomers’ Opinions and Preferences on Retirement, 

Health and Fitness, Financial Preparedness and Active 

Adult Living Communities - D. Schreiner and K. Thornton .....53 


Introduction: Regional Case Studies - P Bradley .....57 

New York State’s Project 2015: Preparing for the Impact 

of an Aging, Diverse Population - N. Lane and J. Rosenbaum ....59 

Elders’ Importance - J. Hook .•..69 

The Pueblo of Acoma’s Environmental Vision - S. Paytiamo .....71 

Introduction: Tools - P. Bradley .!....83 

Ecological Footprint Accounting: Comparing Resource Availability 
with an Economy’s Resource Demand - AL Wackernagel, D. Moran, 

S. Goldfinger and M. Wallace ........... 85 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 



IV 





























Contents 


Breakout Session Summaries.,...95 

Focal Area Breakout Group A: Projected Demographic and Lifestyle Patterns 

of an Aging Population (Sources of Environmental Stress) - M . Holland .97 

Focal Area Breakout Group B: Changing Land-Use and 

Environmental Stress - K . Thornton ..... ; ... 103 

Focal Area Breakout Group C: Effects of Aging Americans on Natural 

Resources and Environmental Quality - W. Munns .... 109 

Interactions/Linkages Group 1 - M Holland .,.....119 

Interactions/Linkages Group 2- K . Thornton .....121 

Interactions/Linkages Group 3 - W. Munns .:... 123 

Post Workshop Considerations for 

Research and New Directions - W. Munns .....125 

Synthesis - K . Thornton ....129 

Appendix A: Workshop Agenda......137 

Appendix B: Attendees...141 

Appendix C: Reading List.........145 

Appendix D: Glossary....149 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop v 



















Acknowledgements 



Planning Committee: 

USEPA ORD/NHEERL/MAIA 
Patricia Bradley (Chair) 
USEPA ORD/NCER 
Diana Bauer 
Bernice L. Smith 
USEPA ORD/NHEERL 
Steven Hedtke 
Wayne Murins 
Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta 
USEPA ORD/NRMRL 
Heriberto Cabezas 
FTN Associates 
Kent Thornton 
University of Utah 
Scott Wright 

Peer Reviewers 

AARP 

Andrew Kochera 
Florida Dept of Elder Affairs 
Lisa Meyer 

Revitalization Institute 
Storm Cunningham 
USEPA ORD 
Barbara Levinson 

Editors 

PSGS 

Jennifer Ghiloni 
Eric Walbeck 

USEPA ORD/NHEERL/MAIA 
Patricia Bradley 


Authors 

East Carolina University 
Don Bradley 
FTN Associates 
Kent Thornton 
Global Footprint Network - 
.. Steven Goldfinger 
Dan Moran 
Mathis Wackernagel 
Mike Wallace 
n4a 

Sandy Markwood 
NIH, NIEHS 
Alan Dearry 

NY State Office for the Aging 
Neil Lane 

Jennifer Rosenbaum 
PSGS 

Eric Walbeck 
Mary Holland 
Pueblo of Acoma 
Stanley Paytiamo 
Pulte Homes 
David Schreiner 
University of Utah 
Scott Wright 

USEPA ORD/NHEERL/MAIA 
Patricia Bradley 
USEPA ORD/NHEERL 
Wayne Munns 
USEPA Region 6 
Jonathan Hook 
Wake Forest University 
Charles Longino 


Workshop Support 

PSGS 

Layout/Design: Juanita Soto-Smith 
Registration/Logistics: Eric 
Walbeck 

Supplies, Notes: Jennifer Ghiloni 
USEPA, RTP 

Conference Rooms: Treva Bunch 

Facilitators 

PSGS 

Mary Holland (Groups A, 1) 

FTN Associates 
Kent Thornton (Groups B, 2) 
USEPA ORD/NHEERL 
Wayne Munns (Groups C, 3) 

Footprint Video 

USEPA ORD/NHEERL (Funding) 
Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta 
Global Footprint Network 
(Production) 

Mike Wallace 
Mathis Wackernagel 

We would also like to thank the following 
for their support and leadership: • 

USEPA, Office of Aging 
Kathy Sykes 

USEPA ORD/NHEERL 
Steve Hedtke 
Hal Zenick 
Hugh Tilson 


vi Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 






Acknowledgements 


Attendees 

CDC 

Andrea Neiman 
E. Carolina University 
Don Bradley 

E. Tennessee State University. 

Tony DeLucia 
FTN Associates 
Kent Thornton 
Global Footprint Network 
Mike Wallace 
n4a 

Sandy Markwood 
NC State Cooperative 
Extension 
Lucille Bearon 
Sarah Kirby 
Sandy Wiggins 
NIH, NIEHS 
Alan Dearry 

NY State Office for the Aging 
Neal Lane 

Jennifer Rosenbaum 
PSGS 

Jennifer Ghiloni . . 
Mary Holland 
Eric Walbeck 


Pueblo of Acoma 
• Stanley Paytiamo 
Pulte Homes 
David Schreiner 
University of Tennessee 
Bruce Tonn 
University of Utah 
Scott Wright 
USEPA OA 
Kathy Sykes 
USEPA OAQPS 
Chitra Kumar 
Linda Rimer 
Susan Stone 
USEPA OPEI 
Carlton Eley 
USEPA ORD/NCEA 
Marsha Marsh 
USEPA ORD/NCER 
Diana Bauer 
Bernice Smith 
USEPA ORD/NERL 
Megan Mehaffey 
Kent Thomas 


USEPA ORD/NHEERL 
Andrew Geller 
Steven Hedtke 
Laura Jackson 
Hillel Koren 
Wayne M tin ns 
John Paul 

USEPA ORD/NHEERL/MAIA 
Patricia Bradley 
USEPA Region 6 
Jonathan Hook 
Wake Forest University 
Charles Longino 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop vii 






An Aging Population: 

Human Health and Environmental Effects 

The world’s population is aging. In 2000, for the first time, over half the U.S. 
population was over 35 years old. By 2030, over 20% of the population will be 65 years 
or older. In 2009, the first of the Baby Boomer generation will be reaching 65 years old. 
In anticipation of this population trend, the U.S. EPA’s Office of the Administrator and 
Office of Research and Development launched an Aging Initiative in October, 2002 to 
develop research, health promotion, and senior involvement programs focused on the 
environment in an aging society. 

As the American demographic shifts toward an aging society, how will our 
resource needs change? Will retirement patterns change; what are the environmental 
stressors associated with retirement in-place versus relocation to communities at the far 
edges of existing communities, expanding into rural areas and otherwise pristine areas? 

In August, 2004, a diverse group of individuals, including human demographers, 
physicians and health officials, tribal leaders, ecologists, risk assessors, private sector 
developers, nonprofit organizations, and consultants met to discuss potential 
environmental impacts from an aging population and possible research needed to assess 
these environmental impacts. This workshop report is the result of these interactions. 

The workshop generated highly informative presentations and, because of the 
energy and enthusiasm of its participants, provided a unique forum for extended 
discussions among participants representing different stakeholders. Perhaps it was 
because many of the participants are part of the aging population, but we think it was 
because of the excitement of moving toward a holistic approach to environmental risk 
assessment and management that integrates social, cultural, and economic considerations 
with human and ecological health. We plan to use these workshop findings in 
conjunction with other information to prepare a research plan to evaluate the effects of an 
aging population on the environment that embodies such a holistic approach. 




Harold^enick, PhD 

Steven Hedtke, PhD 

Associate Director for Health 

Acting Associate Director for 

• 

Ecology 


National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory 


—.. . .. ■ 


viii Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 









Constructing a Research Agenda on Aging 
Americans and their Impact on Ecology and 
Environmental Quality 



Patricia Bradley 1 , Kent Thornton 2 , Steven Hedtke 1 , 
Wayne Munns 1 , Scott Wright 3 , Jennifer Orme-Zaveleta 1 , 

Diana Bauer 1 , and Bernice Smith 1 

^.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2 FTN Associates, and 

3 University of Utah 


There has, however, been little discussion 
about the impact of the aging society 
in relation to natural resources and 
environmental quality, or to the reciprocal 
impact of environmental conditions on 
the well-being of aging individuals, and 
collectively, an aging society (Wright and 
Lund, 2000). 


The U.S. is undergoing a dramatic 
demographic transformation. In 2000, for 
the first time in LhS. history, more than half 
of the population (50.5%) was at least 35 
years old, and 12.5% were 65 years or older. 
By micl-century, our population over 65 will 
have more than doubled. Since 1900, the 
older population has doubled every 30 years 
(Longino, this publication). 

The factors contributing to this increase 
are the current reduction in birth rate, a 
20-year increase in the average life span, 
and the aging of the Baby Boomers. Baby 
Boomers (Americans born between 1946 and 
1964) represent the largest single sustained 
growth of the population in the history of the 
U.S. (AARP, 2004). Considerable attention 
has been paid to the Boomer cohort by 
demographers, politicians, marketers, and 
social scientists relative to the pervasive 
economic, social, and political effects of 
an aging society. For example, the Centers 
for Disease Control have identified that 
the growing number of older adults will 
dramatically increase the demands on the 
public health system, medical and social 
services, and pension systems (CDC, 2003). 


The aging of the U.S. population represents a 
long-term change in the U.S. demographic profile. 

In recognition of this fundamental change, 
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
(EPA) is developing A National Agenda on 
Aging Americans and the Environment. At 
the invitation of EPA’s Office of Research 
and Development (ORD), scientists, public 
health officials and other professionals in the 
fields of aging, demographics, health and 
ecology met on August 10-12, 2004 to share 
their expertise on the potential impacts a 
growing legion of older Americans may have 
on natural resources and environmental 
quality. The Aging Americans: Impacts on 
Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 
complements a workshop conducted by 
the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 1 

• • • 

' * • ' * • 






Constructing a Research Agenda on Aging Americans 
and their Impact on Ecology and Environmental Quality 


in December of 2002, that identified a 
number of research priorities for examining 
human health effects focused around 
types of environmental contaminants and 
exposure routes (e.g., particulate matter and 
air quality, water-borne infections, altered 
pharmacokinetics, and neurotoxicity) (USEPA 
2003). 

The Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology 
and Environmental Quality Workshop 
provided a forum for information exchange 
on topics that included (1) the change in 
aging demographics over time, (2) key issues 
(i.e., socio-economic, geographic) affecting 
demographic projections, (3) the potential 
impacts of an aging population on natural 
resources and environmental quality, and 
(4) the research needed to ensure both the 
desired amenities for this aging population 
and the protection of natural resources. 

Ecological research at EPA is structured 
around the ecological risk assessment process, 
which evaluates the likelihood that adverse 
ecological effects may occur as a result of 
exposure to one or more stressors (USEPA, 
1992). The process is used to systematically 
evaluate and organize data, information, 
assumptions, and uncertainties in order to 
help understand and predict the relationships 
between stressors and ecological effects in a 
way that is useful for environmental decision¬ 
making (USEPA, 1998) . A simplified version 
of the risk assessment framework (stressors-* 
exposure—^ecological effects) was used to 
organize the workshop. 

Simplified Risk Assessment Framework 

Stressors Exposure —* Ecological Effects. 


The speakers represented various sectors— 
academia, federal, state and tribal organiza¬ 
tions, non-governmental organizations, and 
private industry—and had a wide variety of 
backgrounds, including ecology, public health, 
planning, engineering, community design and 
construction, and social sciences. Their pre¬ 
sentations and the subsequent breakout group 
discussions captured many different perspec¬ 
tives and is reflective of the multi-disciplinary 
approach that is needed to effectively under¬ 
stand and respond to the aging American 
population. 

This chapter will provide an introduction to 
subsequent chapters and synthesize the state 
of the knowledge, as communicated during 
the workshop, of the potential effects of the 
aging population on the environment. 


Demographic and Lifestyle 
Patterns of an Aging Population 

Background information on aging Americans 
contributes towards better understanding of 
the issues. We need to better understand aging 
Americans. Key questions include: 

• Who fits into the category of an aging 
American? 


• How many aging Americans are there? 

• What are the demographic and lifestyle 
patterns of aging Americans? 


• Are demographic and lifestyle patterns of 
aging Americans distinct from the patterns 
of other age groups? 

• How are trends expected to differ 

• regionally? 

• Do aging Americans share a common 
attitude about environmental issues? 



2 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 







P. Bradley et al. 


Sandy Markwood, CEO of National Associa¬ 
tion of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) , gave 
the plenary presentation. In 2000, 12.4% of 
the population was aged.65 or older. By 2030, 
that figure will rise to 30% of the population. 
Currently, only 16% of older Americans are 
minorities, but the aging of the Baby Boomers 
and the growing number of older immigrants 
will increase that figure to 25% by 2030. 

While conventional wisdom lumped the 
Boomers into one homogenous group, a 
1998 AARP study revealed that Boomers were 
actually quite diverse—they have a wide, range 
of socio-economic status, are much more 
ethnically and racially diverse than preceding 
generations, and have widely varying attitudes 
and beliefs (AARP, 1999). This diversity 
reflects the changing face of American society 
as a whole. Our research strategy, policy 
decisions, and educational programs must 
take this diversity into consideration. 

The Aging population is diverse — socio¬ 
economically, ethnically, and racially, 
with widely varying attitudes and 

beliefs. This reflects the changing face of 
American society. 

Charles Longino discussed traditional 
migration patterns of older Americans as 
they retire. Most aging Americans do not 
migrate to another geographic location, but 
rather choose to retire in place—close to 
family, friends, and social support networks. 
Eighty percent of older Americans Own their 
own homes, and 89% want to remain in 
their current homes for as long as possible. 
However, there are increasing numbers of 
older adults who seek to improve their lifestyle 
by relocating to communities with natural 
amenities such as warmer climate and scenic 


beauty. Generally, they migrate from cities and 
suburbs by moving clown the “metropolitan 
hierarchy,’' a pattern of moving from major 
metropolitan areas to smaller towns or cities 
(e.g., from New York City to Atlanta, or from 
Atlanta to Raleigh/Durham). 

Older Americans tend to migrate down . 
the “metropolitan hierarchy. ” 

There is a breakpoint between younger 
senior citizens and the elderly—which 
occurs generally around age 75. About 26% 
of younger seniors have chronic health 
conditions. This, increases to 50% by age 75, 
with a shift from being active to becoming 
frail. Scott Wright defines the two segments: 
the “young-old’’ who remain active and may 
perhaps relocate to retirement communities 
that are typically located in geographic areas 
with greater natural amenities (e.g., “gateway 
communities” near National/State Parks and 
Forests) and pastoral settings and cultural 
amenities (e.g., college towns), and less- 
active people choosing to (or with no option- 
but to) remain (“aging-in-place ”) in their 
communities (the “old-old"). The young- 
old, in general, roughly corresponds to the 
60-75-age bracket. The old-old, in general, 
corresponds to the 75 and older age bracket. 

Over the past 50 years there has been 
increasing movement away from urban 
areas towards suburban areas. Census 2000 
revealed that more than half the residents 
in the suburbs of major metropolitan areas 
are now age 35-and-older (Frey, 2003). 

Suburbs around sun-belt cities such as Las 
Vegas, Colorado Springs, Tucson and Austin 
are benefiting from the more affluent 
retirees, while northern suburbs in metros 
like Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Providence are 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 3 





Constructing a Research Agenda on Aging Americans 
and their Impact on Ecology and Environmental Quality 


likely to face greater economic challenges 
in keeping up with demand for medical and 
social services (Frey, 2003). 


colleges, to the 1970s and 1980s with first 
jobs, homes and stock market portfolios (Frey, 
2003). 


As seniors age, some are forced to move due 
to deterioration of health or death of a spouse 
(Longino, 1995). Others move away from 
retirement communities back to their original 
communities or to a state where their adult 
children reside. This tendency is stronger 
for those who are widowed or over 75 (Liaw 
et al., 2002). City centers and inner suburbs 
make good destinations for older persons. 

The better off an.d healthy urban professional 
will tend to locate on the periphery, while the 
more disadvantaged elderly will move closer to 
city' centers (Frey, 2000). 

Seniors can be a significant economic force. 
More than 380,000 Americans move across 
state lines to retire every year. Retirement 
migration generates billions of dollars a year 
in sales of everything from real estate to health 
care. Florida alone derives a $3.5 billion 
income transfer from seniors moving into the 
state (Longino, this publication). 

Aging Americans tend to have strong 
environmental values and have time to get 
involved in public policy and to volunteer in 
environmental stewardship and restoration 
activities (Tonn et al., 2001). Longer life spans 
allow people to experience the outcomes of 
their decisions about the environment. 

The LT.S. has a $1.6 trillion backlog in 
infrastructure restoration (ASCE, 2003). 
Historical patterns may not apply to Baby 
Boomers. Baby Boomers have catalyzed 
important sociological changes in the 
communities where they live—starting in the 
1950s when they inflated the demand for 
schools, through the 1960s when they flooded 


According to Dave Schreiner of Pulte Homes, 
there are currently two significant impacts 
on the home building market: immigrants 
who are now buying homes, and the graying 
population. Active senior adults are buying 
12,000 homes per year in the U.S.; they have 
evolved socially, physically, and financially 
and are generally happy, optimistic, and have 
the time to enjoy themselves. Pulte Homes’ 
Del Webb specializes in building adult 
communities with design features geared 
towards an active lifestyle. Many communities 
are designed around a golf course and 
include walking paths and water features. 

The aging process results in a number of 
physical changes, including reduced depth 
perception, strength and stamina. Residences 
and common spaces are designed with safety 
as a key consideration and universal access is 
incorporated throughout. 




Baby Boomers' Retirement Plans 


No plan to move 


Plan to move less 
than 1 hr away 

Plan to move 1-3 hrs 
away 

Plan to move more than 
3 hrs away 


Del Webb, 2003 


Figure 1. A 2003 survey by Del Webb revealed 
that 6 out of 10 Baby Boomers intend to 
relocate in retirement. 


4 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 











P. Bradley et al. 


Seniors choose a new community based on 
a variety of factors. Del Webb found the top 
ranked factors to be low maintenance homes, 
aesthetic appeal, community security/safety, 
recreational amenities, and nearby super¬ 
markets, restaurants, etc. (Del Webb, 2003). 
Another trend is that homes are increasing 
in size^-by about 10% over the last 10 years. 

In addition, the number of second homes 
is increasing—-typically in environmentally 
sensitive areas (Tonn et al., 2001). 

Unlike younger adults who base their decisions 
on their income, seniors are generally living 
on fixed incomes, have a fixed portfolio of 
assets, including their home, and do not 
want maintenance costs to increase. Many 
new active adult communities are designed 
to provide efficient service delivery, with low 
operating costs. 

Throughout their lives, many Baby Boomers 
have been physically active and as they age, 
they continue to want greater access to natural 
amenities for recreation and the health 
benefits of physical activity. Scott Wright 
presented that retiring Baby Boomers would 
seek high “quality of life” in geographic 
areas that have natural amenities and 
conditions that reflect a higher standard of 
environmental quality (e.g., less pollution, less 
congestion and sprawl) . Southern coastal areas 
(Florida, North and South Carolina, Virginia, 
Texas, and California) and communities that 
border the western public lands (Arizona, 
Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah) are 
havens for retirees seeking beautiful locations 
with high natural amenities (Wright et al., 
2003). 

Retiring Baby Boomers will seek high quality 
of life in geographic areas that have natural 
resources and higher environmental quality. 


Environmental Stressors 
Resulting from these Patterns 

Preparing for an aging society is closely linked 
to Smart Growth, Sustainable Development, 
and Restorative Development. The location, 
configuration and scale of homes and 
communities within a watershed changes risks 
to wildlife and environmental sustainability. 
Communities will need to consider the social 
and environmental amenities required by 
the aging society and how changes in the 
demand for these amenities will introduce 
new and additional environmental stressors 
or influence the temporal and spatial aspects 
of existing stressors. As the aging population 
grows, key questions include: 

• How will the aging population impact 
demand for housing, health care, 
recreation and transportation? 

• What stressors are associated with this 
demand? 

• What infrastructure issues must 
communities address to prepare for 
dramatic increases in their aging 
populations? 

• Are there any stressors unique to the 
aging population? 

Age-related patterns of consumption may 
change substantially as Baby Boomers enter 
their retirement years. Specific cohorts 
may have unique patterns of consumption 
(Pebley 1998). Differences in the lifestyles 
of the aging population are likely to have a 
regional component, with areas of the country 
experiencing substantially different pressures 
on environmental resources with respect to 
the requirements of young-old and old-old 
segments of an aging population. 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology 


and Environmental Quality Workshop 


5 






Constructing a Research Agenda on Aging Americans 
and their impact on Ecology and Environmental Quality 


New communities developed to accommodate 
the choices of the young-old segment, for 
example, may expand sprawl into rural areas 
and areas with sensitive ecosystems, such as 
forest, wilderness and coastal areas (natural 
amenities). Over 50% of the U.S. population 
lives by the coast today and by 2025 this figure 
is expected to reach 75% (Culliton, 1998). 

Specific cohorts of the aging population will 
have differences in lifestyles and these may 
differ regionally. 

These retirees also bring with them the ex¬ 
pectation of readily available social amenities 
such as health care, shopping and recreation 
along with the need for transportation, safe 
drinking water, wastewater treatment and 
solid waste disposal (infrastructure). Meeting 
these requirements adds stress to surrounding 
environmental systems. An alternative to this 
scenario may be to redevelop center city areas 
with retirement homes and communities, thus 
taking advantage of existing social amenities 
and not expanding into previously undevel¬ 
oped land. However, this may also require 
updating, expanding, or replacing/renewing 
the infrastructure. Workshop attendees recom¬ 
mended that development in regions offering 
these natural amenities should be done with 
an eye toward sustainability. 

The old-old, on the other hand, tend to age in 
place. As their health degrades, their health 
care needs will change (increased use of 
pharmaceuticals and personal care products 
such as adult diapers or hearing aides), 
increasing demands on the infrastructure of 
existing communities as well as the nature of 
stress on the environment. 


A converging trend that is impacting where 
aging populations will live is the aging of 
the Nation’s buildings and infrastructure. 
Failure to re-use buildings and/or renovate 
infrastructure (e.g., roads, bridges, transit, 
schools, drinking water systems, wastewater, 
and waste disposal) greatly decreases the 
ability of older urban and suburban areas to 
support seniors. 

It appears that'aging Americans will introduce 
few new or unique stressors, but may be the 
largest source of some stressors. 

One such stressor is mercury from amalgam 
fillings. Each year in the U.S. an estimated 40 
tons of mercury are used to prepare mercury- 
amalgam dental restorations. The average 
person with amalgam fillings excretes via 
urine or feces over 100 micrograms per day 
of mercury (Bjorkman etal., 1997; Ekstrand 
et ah, 1998). After a person dies, the mercury 
that has accumulated in the body is released 
to the environment via either cremation or 
burial. 

Aging Americans may tend to use pharmaceu¬ 
ticals at a rate higher than that of the average 
population. Recent studies suggest that very 
low quantities (e.g., parts per trillion) of some 
pharmaceuticals, such as antibiotics, statin 
drugs, etc. are passing through wastewater 
treatment plants and entering aquatic systems. 

Other stressors that may be associated with 
aging Americans, particularly'those relocating 
to active retirement communities and areas 
with natural amenities include increased 
water usage for homes and golf courses; 
additional septic systems; increased pollutant 
transport from increased impervious surfaces; 
increased habitat fragmentation/loss due to 
trails, universal access and development; and 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 


6 




P. Bradley et al. 


increased emissions from generating increased 
energy (heating and cooling) . 

Ecological and Environmental Effects 

Ecological effects are changes in natural re¬ 
source and environmental condition resulting 
from exposure to stressors generated or modi¬ 
fied by humans. This workshop focused par¬ 
ticularly on those effects related to an aging 
American population. Key questions include: 

• How do we balance the social and eco¬ 
nomic needs of older Americans with 
the sustainability of natural resources? 

• Are the ecological and environmental 
effects unique to the aging population? 

• Do the ecological and environmental 
effects vary for different segments of 
the aging population? 

Many environmental effects are associated 
with the growing American population and 
its increased demands for resources and 
land-use. Alan Dearry, National Institutes 
of Environment Health Sciences (NIEHS) 
provided an overview of the built environment 
and public health. The built environment is 
defined as the physical structures engineered 
and built by people, including homes, work¬ 
places, schools, parks, and transit systems. The 
built environment has both direct and indirect 
impacts on our environment and on public 
health. 

Land development impacts ecological resourc¬ 
es. Impacts include habitat loss and fragmenta¬ 
tion, and degradation of water resources and 
water quality. Building on undeveloped land 
destroys and fragments habitat, displacing or 
eliminating wildlife communities. Increasing 
the amount of impervious surfaces (e.g., 
roads, buildings, parking lots) leads to the deg¬ 
radation of water quality by increasing runoff 


volume, altering regular stream flow and 
watershed hydrology, reducing groundwater 
recharge, and increasing erosion, stream 
sedimentation, and water acidity (USEPA, 
2001). Unsustainable development may also 
result in freshwater scarcity (a major issue 
in the western U.S. and an emerging issue 
elsewhere). 

Patterns of development greatly affect 
the level of direct environmental impacts 
associated with urbanization. Smart 
growth employs environmentally sensitive 
development practices, including compact 
development, reducing impervious surfaces, 
improving water retention, safeguarding 
environmentally sensitive areas, designing 
efficient transit networks, and enhancing the 
environment for non-motorized travel such as 
walking and bicycling. 

Communities that accommodate more infill 
and redevelopment can greatly reduce the 
environmental impacts of development. 

One study estimates that every acre of 
Brownfield developed avoids 4.5 acres of 
Greenfield development. Infill can reduce 
overall impervious surface in a watershed, 
cut trip times and distances, provide more 
transportation options, help protect human 
health and even provide capital to upgrade 
infrastructure or clean up contamination 
(USEPA, 2004).' 

A transportation system that supports smart 
growth is pedestrian-friendly, increases 
accessibility, has well-connected gridded 
streets, provides transit opportunities, 
maximizes use of existing facilities, and 
is coordinated with the surrounding 
development. Less environmentally friendly 
transportation projects may disrupt animal 
habitat, damage ecosystems, degrade wetlands 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


7 




Constructing a Research Agenda on Aging Americans 
and their Impact on Ecology and Environmental Quality 


and source waters, and increase storm water 
runoff. These transportation projects may 
lead to increases in emissions (resulting from 
increases in travel), growth in outlying areas, 
and impact human health (USEPA, 2004) . 


The concept of carry ing capacity 
is important in understanding the 
impact an aging population may have 
on the environment. 


Sandy Markwood pointed out that safer 
roads, sidewalks and street crossings benefit 
everyone—not only seniors. Communities can 
be designed to. be elder-friendly and promote 
smart growth. Comprehensive master planning 
and zoning needs to be changed to promote 
health and wellness as part of community 
design. 

Elder-friendly designs and smart growth 
benefit everyone—not just seniors. 

Land is static or decreasing. Sustainability' 
practices (e.g., land-use planning, implemen¬ 
tation of Best Management Practices, and 
watershed restoration activities) should begin 
in existing cities and urban areas to provide 
the quality of life amenities that people seek 
elsewhere (Wright, 2004). Restorative develop¬ 
ment involves replacing, renovating and/or 
reusing the built environment, and the 
restoration of exhausted, contaminated, and 
damaged natural resources (Cunningham, 
2004). 

The concept of ecological carrying capacity 
is important in planning for sustainability. 
Carrying capacity is the maximum human use 
load (capacity) that can be sustained (carried) 
by an environment without reducing its future 
ability to support a similar load. Carrying 
capacity will vary by region due to differences 
in resource availability and ecosystem 
response. 


Carrying capacity is of particular importance 
because specific population groups, such 
as the Young-Olcl may be exacting a greater 
demand on ecological resources because of 
both increasing population in specific regions 
and per capita consumption rates. Older 
persons who are healthy and active may spend 
more of their time getting exercise, hiking, 
visiting parks, playing golf and otherwise 
engaging in recreational activities. Ironically, 
as people move into more fragile ecosystems 
and natural areas, the natural features and 
other quality of life features that may have 
attracted them are lost or diminished (Wright, 
2004).. 

There appear to be few ecological effects 
associated with stressors unique to the 
aging population. Aging Americans are 
using different types of pharmaceuticals, in 
different combinations, than those used by the 
population at large. These pharmaceuticals . 
may enter the aquatic waste stream, and 
the effects on aquatic biota are currently 
unknown, but may include disruption or 
other chronic effects. The type and amounts 
of the pharmaceuticals being used by aging 
Americans need to be quantified. 


Cremation may lead to significant mercury 
pollution from old style amalgam fillings 
in seniors. Mercury released into the 
environment can get into water systems, and is 
then transformed into a more toxic substance 
called methylmercury. Methylmercury is more 
easily absorbed by bacteria and small plants, ' 
which are eaten by small fish and then moves 



8 Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 











P. Bradley et al. 


up the food chain. By the time fish-eating 
animals (e.g., eagles, osprey, loons, raccoons, 
turtles, mink and otters) eat the larger fish, 
the concentration of methylmercury in the fish 
can be up to a million times higher than the 
surrounding water. Effects include: 

• Growth inhibition and high mortality of 
embryos and larvae of rainbow trout; 

• Impaired kidney function and 
endocrine disruption in yellow perch 
and northern pike; 

• 50% fewer young in loons; and 

• The possibility of Mercury as a 
contributing factor in the decline of the 

Florida panther. 

Despite the apparent lack of unique stressors, 
the increased use of natural resources and 
the generation of new waste streams by the 
aging population may exceed the resiliency 
and recovery capabilities of ecological systems. 
Identifying the thresholds in stressor levels 
or ecological effects associated with the aging 
population is essential to the concept of 
carrying capacity. 

Case Studies and the Ecological Footprint 
Concept 

Case studies were used to present a holistic 
approach to aging and the environment. 

Neal Lane presented a unique New York 
State-wide effort, which began in 1998 to 
address the impact of the aging of the Baby 
Boomer cohort on issues such as housing, 
long-term care, nutrition, health, care giving, 
transportation, and retirement. Project 2015 
was broadened in 2002, to use the idea of 
“broad population change” as the basis for 
involving all 36 state agencies in preparing for 
the State’s future. 


Governor Pataki charged the 36 participating 
agencies to construct, over a nine-month 
period, briefs that: 

• assessed the impact of demographic 
change on their mission, products, 
services, constituent group, and daily 
operations; 

• identified and prioritized the major 
issues that would arise for them 
because of these demographic changes; 
and 

• specified action steps or strategies they 
would implement over the next five 
years to address their top three impact 
areas. 

The briefs were organized into a unified policy 
document, “ Project 2015: State Agencies Prepare 
for the Impact of an Aging New York—White 
Paper for Discussion' (NYSOFA, 2002). This 
document presents a practical framework for 
New York to prepare for the future. New York’s 
new mode of multi-group planning around a 
unifying common issue established a common 
bond among the participating groups. It 
had groups working toward a common goal, 
encouraged sharing and collaborating among 
groups, produced ideas and strategies that 
would make the most out of the opportunities 
presented by the changing demographics, and 
promoted creativity in identifying effective 
ways of meeting the challenges inherent in 
changing demographics. New York’s planning 
initiative can be replicated or adapted by 
other governments or communities that wish 
to accomplish these same goals. 

New York’s Project 2015 is a model for 
other states and communities. 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


9 





Constructing a Research Agenda on Aging Americans 
and their Impact on Ecology and Environmental Quality 


Jonathan Hook, EPA - Region 6, spoke about 
Native Americans and their broad, holistic 
approach to the environment. They employ 
strategies that combine traditional Native 
practices with contemporary technologies. He 
introduced Stanley Paytiamo, who presented 
the second case study on the sovereign 
Indian Nation of the Pueblo of Acoma. The 
Pueblo of Acoma is located approximately 
55 miles west of Albuquerque, New Mexico 
and has a population of 4,754. The Acoma 
people have lived in harmony with the natural 
environment for more than 1000 years. 

Acoma culture calls for an orderly life within 
the natural environment. The Acoma people 
believe in preserving the environment so that 
it will continue to provide natural resources 
necessary for their survival. Clean water and 
air, good crops, and peace of body and spirit 
are interdependent. 

The Pueblo of Acoma is an environmentally 
disadvantaged community. It has suffered, 
and continues to suffer, the negative environ¬ 
mental impacts of nearby uranium mining 
and other industrial activities that have 
depleted and contaminated water supplies; 
of faulty natural gas pipelines traversing the 
reservation to serve outside sources; and of 
sewage effluent and overflow from ineffective 
wastewater treatment facilities in neighboring 
municipalities. There are few resources to 
combat these problems and to correct the 
reservation’s own waste disposal practices. 

The Pueblo of Acoma has developed a 26- 
year Practical Vision to provide for a safer, 
healthier environment; preserve Acoma 
culture and traditional lifestyles; promote. 
economic self-sufficiency through traditional 
agricultural land-use and tourism; foster 
greater community, civic and political 


awareness; and provide greater employment 
opportunities through education. 

We must protect the earth for seven 
generations to come. 

The Pueblo of Acoma believe we must protect 
the earth for seven generations to come. 

This philosophy makes sustainability an 
intergenerational issue. 

A tool that may provide insight about the 
relationship between sustainability issues and 
an aging society is the ecological footprint. 
Ecological footprint calculations are based 
on two simple facts: we can measure most of 
the resources we consume and many of the 
wastes we generate; and these measurements 
can be converted to corresponding areas of 
productive land or sea (Wackernagel, this 
publication). 

The average American uses 24 acres of land 
annually. The U.S. has the dubious distinction 
of having both the largest ecological footprint 
(6.9 billion acres) and the largest ecological 
deficit (3.1 billion acres). Americans consume 
84 percent more productive land than we 
actually have (Venetoulis et al., 2004) . 

The ecological footprint is a tool that 
can help assess the relationship between 
sustainability issues and an aging society: 

Currently, humanity’s combined footprint 
is more than the Earth’s capacity. We are 
using about a third more than nature can 
regenerate each year. This is undermining 
nature’s systems, threatening its ability to 
sustain us. The ecological footprint shows us 
how much there is and how much we use, so 


10 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 





P. Bradley et ak 


that we can make personal and social choices 
to become more sustainable. The challenge 
of sustainability is to find ways to create 
fulfilling lives while reducing our impact on 
the Earth. Europeans and the Japanese, with 
arguably better quality of life, inspire hope 
and can serve as models because they have 
footprints that are half the size of Americans. 
Dramatically more efficient use of resources 
and cyclical systems are necessary 7 . It must also 
be realized that quality of life does not depend 
on large resource use (Venetoulis et al., 2004). . 

Quality of Life does not depend on 
large resource use. 

Moving Towards a Research Program 

The U.S. is undergoing a demographic trans¬ 
formation towards older adults, spearheaded 
by the aging Baby Boomers, but projected to 
last beyond the Boomer generation. While 
we can reasonably estimate the growth of the 
aging population, we are less certain about 
how this rapid demographic change will affect 
natural resource utilization, land-use planning, 
and environmental quality. 

EPA is developing a research strategy based on 
input from this workshop. This proceedings 
is the starting point for a framework that links 
diverse lifestyles, cultures, and health status in 
the aging population to ecological stressors. 
Research will be structured along a simplified 
ecological risk assessment paradigm. This 
comprises sources of environmental stress 
(projected demographic and lifestyle patterns 
of an aging population), resulting exposure 
regimes (temporal and spatial changes in land- 
use patterns and the environmental stressors 
resulting from these patterns), and potential 
ecological effects. The strategy' will also 
address issues of spatial and temporal scale. 


Workshop participants began to develop a 
framework showing the linkages that relate 
lifestyle issues to stressors associated with an 
aging population. For each lifestyle issue, 
related stressors and potential ecological 
effects were identified. This framework also 
supported inclusion of existing information 
and the research needed specifically to fill 
gaps in our understanding. The matrix will 
be further expanded to address issues of scale 
(both spatial and temporal), as well as existing 
models and other pertinent information. 
Further dialogue is required to flesh out 
the framework more completely and to 
develop the research strategy. Collaborative 
relationships and partnerships among local, 
state and federal agencies, the private sector, 
non-government organizations (NGOs) , and 
stakeholders are central to the success of the 
effort, and EPA will actively pursue these new 
relationships and partnerships. 

We need to consider human and ecological 
health in an integrated manner.. 

An underlying assumption for this strategy 
includes the necessity to consider human and 
ecological health in an integrated manner. 
Research will therefore be interdisciplinary, 
including natural scientists, ecologists, and 
engineers, as well as sociologists, economists, 
gerontologists, demographers, behaviorists, 
planners, social marketers, and other disci¬ 
plines that interact with aging populations. 
Collaborative relationships and partnerships 
among local, state and federal agencies, the 
private sector, NGOs, and stakeholders will be 
central to the success of the effort. 

Research will be interdisciplinary 
■ and collaborative. 



Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


11 




Constructing a Research Agenda on Aging Americans 
and their Impact on Ecology and Environmental Quality 



Aging Americans are very diverse with respect 
to lifestyles, income, cultural perspectives^ 
and health status and susceptibility. Although 
we can continue to treat this richness as 
an “ uncertainty,” our understanding of the 
ecological effects of the aging population 
on natural resources and environmental 
quality will ultimately suffer from lack of 
consideration of the underlying diversity of 
aging Americans. Social science research is 
needed to understand the mental models and 
social mindscapes of various cohorts. 

Another assumption is that impacts from the 
aging society are expected to vary regionally. 
Research is needed to characterize this 
variability to capture the consumption, waste, 
transportation, medical needs, and lifestyle 
patterns by cohort and geographic area and 
to overlay aging population demographic data 
on an eco-regional base layer. Research is also 
needed to identify built-community planning 
practices that can be applied to minimize 
environmental stressors and enhance health 
promotion and the quality of life for different 
segments of the aging population. 

Impacts from the aging society are 
expected to vary regionally. 

Limitations of this work include our 
understanding that ecological effects of the 
aging population may not be completely 
separable from those associated with increases 
in the size of the general population. Given 
the rapid demographic change, altered 
patterns of resource use may present novel 
challenges with respect to our ability to 
forecast those effects. Natural resource use 
and the waste streams generated by the 
aging population may overwhelm the ability 
of ecological systems to compensate for or 
assimilate changes in stressor levels. Research 


should be conducted to identify “tipping 
points” —thresholds in stressor levels or 
ecological effects beyond which the ecological 
systems change state—and the possibility that 
release rates, magnitudes or combinations 
of aging-related stressors may exceed these 
thresholds. 

We must identify “tippingpoints” in 
stressor levels or ecological effects. 

EPA will also investigate how tools such as 
ecological footprints and emerging fields such 
as human ecology could be applied to assess 
the impacts of aging Americans on ecology 
and environmental quality. 

The Case Study or Demonstration Project 

approach will be used to investigate the 
effects of an aging population on the 
environment. The process used in each 
Case Study or Demonstration Project will be 
thoroughly documented so the process can 
be transferred to other areas or regions with 
similar issues. Alternative futures analyses and 
future vulnerability analysis will accompany 
the assessment of current vulnerabilities. 

EPA will continue this interactive dialogue 
addressing all parts of the risk assessment/ risk 
management process, involving a broad range 
of partners, collaborators, and stakeholders. 

The Case Study or Demonstration 
approach will be used to investigate 
the effects of an aging population on 
the environment. 

Impact and Outcomes 

Research on the effect of the growing aging 
population on the environment will allow 
the Agency to provide sound technical 
information to local and community-based 


12 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 




P. Bradley et al. 


organizations to make informed decisions, 
maximize opportunities presented by an 
aging population, and minimize the impact 
of the growing aging population on the 
environment. ORD will partner with the EPA 
Regional Offices to facilitate collaboration 
with regionally specific stakeholders to 
develop and initiate the implementation 
of appropriate policies and management 
actions that emerge from this research. This 
will enhance the ability of city, county, and 
regional planners to meet the needs of the 
growing older adult population, while at 
the same time, enhance the quality of the 
environment for the current and future 
generations and contribute to “Lifelong 
Quality of Life.” 

References: 

American Society of Civil Engineers. 2003. 2003 
Progress Report - A Report Card for America’s 
Infrastructure. 2003. (January 14, 2005: http: 

// www. asce. org/reportcard/ index, cfm ?reaction=full 
&page=6). 

Bjorkman, L., G. Sandborgh-Englund and J. 
Ekstrand. 1997. Mercury in Saliva and Feces 
after Removal of Amalgam Fillings. Toxicology 
and Applied Pharmacology 144(1): 156-62. 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 

2003. Trends in Aging - United States and 
Worldwide. Morbidity Mortality Weekly Report 
52(06): 101-106 

Culliton, TJ- 1998. Population: Distribution, 
Density'and Growth [on-line]. Silver Spring, 
MD: National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration: December 8, 1999. Available 
from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration State of the Ocean Report: 
http://sta te_ oJ_coast. noaa.gov/bulletins/html/pop_ 
01 /pop.html. 


Cunningham, S. 2004. Restorative Development: 

. How does it relate to Sustainable Development, 
- Smart Growth, Green Building, and New 
Urbanism? (June 15, 2004: http://www.revitaliz 
ationinstitute. org/Smart_ Growlh_ <2f_SD. htm). 

Del Webb. 2003. Baby Boomer Report - Annual 
Opinion Survey. 2003. (May 19, 2004: http: 

//'www.pidte.com /PressRoom/BabyBoomer2003Sum 
mary.pdf). 

Ekstrand, J., L. Bjorkman; C. Edlund, arid G. 
Saridborgh-Englund. 1998. Toxicological 
Aspects on the Release and Systemic Uptake 
of Mercury from Dental Amalgam. European 
Journal of Oml Sciences 106(2 Pt 2): 678-86 

Frey, W. 2000. The New Urban Demographics - 
Race,. Space Sc Boomer Aging. Brookings Review 
18(3): 20-23. 

Frey, W. 2003. Boomers and Seniors in the Suburbs: 
Aging Patterns in Census 2000. Washington, DC: 
The Brookings Institution, Center on Urban 
and Metropolitan Policy, Living Cities Census 
Series.' 

Liaw, K., W. Frey and J. Lin. 2002. Location of 
Adult Children as an Attraction for Black and 
White Elderly Primary Migrants in the United 
States. Environment and Planning 34: 191-216. 

Longino, C. 1995. Retirement Migration in America. 
Houston, TX: Vacation Publications, Inc. 

New York State Office for the Aging. 2002. 

Project 2015: State Agencies Prepare for the 
Impact of an Aging New York—White Paper 
for Discussion. 2002. (May 18, 2004: http: 
//aging, state, ny. us /explore/project2015 /report02/ 
index, htm). 

Pebley, A. 1998. Demography and the 
Environment. Demography 35: 377-389. 

Roper Starch Worldwide, Inc. 1999. “Baby 

boomers envision their retirement: an AARP 
segmentation analysis.” (February 13, 2004: 
http: //research, aarp. org/econ/boomer_seg_ 
prn.html). 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 




Constructing a Research Agenda on Aging Americans 
and their Impact on Ecology and Environmental Quality 




Roper Starch Worldwide, Inc. 2004. “Baby 

boomers envision their retirement II: survey of 
baby boomers’ expectations for retirement.” 
(February 13, 2004: http://research.aarp.org/ 
econ/boomers_envision.html). 

Tonn, B., G. Waidley, and C. Petrich. 2001. Policy 
and Practice - The Aging U.S. Population and 
Environmental Policy. Journal of Environmental 
Planning and Management 44(6): 851-876. 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1992. 
Framework for Ecological Risk Assessmen t, 
EPA/630/R-92/001.Washington DC: U.S. 
Environmental Protection, Agency Risk 
Assessment Forum. 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1998. 
Guidelines for Ecological Risk Assessment, EPA/ 
630/R-95/002F. Washington, DC: U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, Office of 
Research and Development, National Center 
for Environmental Assessment. 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2001. Our 
Built and Natural Environments, EPA 231-R- 
01-02, Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency. 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2004. EPA 
Smart Growth Strategy. 2004. (February 14, 
2005: http://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/pdf/EPA 
%20Smart%20Growth % 20Strategy.pdf). 


Venetoulis, J., D. Chazan and C. Gaudet. 

2004. Ecological Footprint of Nations 
2004. Redefining Progress, Oakland CA. 

March 2004. (February 13, 2005: http:// 
www. rprogress. org/newpubs/2004/footprintnations 
2004.pdf). 

Wright, S. and D. Lund. 2000. Gray and Green?: 
Stewardship and Sustainability in an Aging 
Society .Journal of Aging Studies 14: 229-249. 

Wright, S., M. Caserta and D. Lund. 2003. Older 
adults’ attitudes, concerns, and support for 
environmental issues in the New West. The 
International Journal of Aging and Human 
Development, 57(2): 151-179. 

Wright, S'. 2003. “Gray and Green? The 

Environmental Impact of the Aging Baby 
Boomer Cohort and Social Vulnerability of the 
Aged to Environmental Hazards.” Presented at 
the American Public Health Association Meeting, 
San Francisco, CA. November 15-19, 2004. 
(Abstract: http://apha.confex.coyn/apha/13lam/ 
techprogram/paper_55695.htm) 









Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 


14 





Introduction: Demographic and 
Lifestyle Patterns of an Aging Population 



Patricia Bradley 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 


This section focuses on the demographics of an aging American society. By 
2030, the number of older Americans is expected to double to 70 million, 
largely as a result of the aging of the Baby Boomers. Human population 
size and consumption patterns are major stressors on ecosystems. Equally 
important is the spatial distribution of the population (where they live), since 
the extent of ecosystem loss and alteration is closely related to population 
density. Sustainable land-use planning must consider the implications of 
current and likely future trends in aging migration patterns. . 

Chapters in this section provide an overview of aging Americans, including 
social and economic status, migration patterns, and factors that influence or 
motivate aging Americans to migrate. Key questions include: 

• Who fits into the category of aging American? 

• How many aging Americans are there? • . 

• Can aging Americans be grouped into distinct cohorts? 

• What are the demographic and lifestyle patterns of aging Americans? 

• Are demographic and lifestyle patterns of aging Americans distinct from 

the patterns of other age groups? • 

• How are trends expected to differ regionally? 

• Do aging Americans share a common attitude about environmental 
issues? 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 15 

















Preparing for the Aging Explosion: 
the Impact of “Aging in Place” 
on America’s Communities 



Sandy Markwood 

National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) 
(Written by Eric Walbeck, PSGS) 


Aging of the U.S. Population 

The following presentation will be a broad 
overview to characterize the aging population 
in the U.S. There is what some call an “Aging 
Explosion" or an “Age Wave,” reflected by the 
growth of the population older than 65 from 
one-in-eight in 2000 to one-in-five in 2030. 
There are currently 655 Area Aging Agencies 
to assist this growing population, many of 
whom do not want to admit they are getting 
older. Some basic statistics include: 

• Since 1900, the percentage of 
Americans age 65 and older has 
more than tripled from 4.1% of the 
population to 12.4% in 2000. 

• In 2000, there were 35 million people 
over the age of 65—representing one 
in every eight Americans. 

• As the Baby Boomers age, by 2030, 

70 million .Americans—twice their, 
number in 2000—will be 65 and older. 
At that point, older Americans will 
comprise 20% of the U.S. population, 
representing one in every 5 Americans. 

.And, the older population is getting older. 

In 2000, the 65 to 74 age group was eight 
times larger than in 1900 but the 74 to 84 


Counties Exceeding the U.S. Proportion 65 Years 


and Over by Region: 2000 

Counties exceeding 
U.S. proportion 

Region 

Total 

Counties 

# 

% 

United States 

3,141 

2,263 

72.0 

Northeast 

217 

170 . 

78.3 

Midwest 

1,055 

869 

82.4 

South 

1,424 

980 

68.8 

West 

445 

244 

54.8 


1 U.S. proportion 65 years and over was 12.4% 


Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 1. (For 
information on confidentiality protection, nonsampling error, and definitions, 
see www.census.gov/prod/cen2000/docs/sf1.pdf) 

age group was 16 times larger and the 85 and 
older group was 34 times larger. The National 
Institute on Aging predicts that centenarians 
could increase their numbers to more than 1.2 
million by the middle of the century. 

Profile of Older Americans 

In addition to a growing aging population, 
there is a growing diversity of that population. 
Currently, 16.4% of the older population is 
comprised of minorities. By 2030, the minority 
populations are projected to represent 25.4% 
of the total 65 and older population. Between 
1999 and 2030, the “white” population 65 
and older is projected to increase by 81% 
compared to 219% for older minorities—this 
includes Hispanics (328%), African Americans 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


17 















Preparing for the Aging Explosion: 

The Impact of “Aging in Place” on America’s Communities 


(131%), American Indians, Eskimos and 
Aleuts (147%) and Asian and Pacific Islanders 

(-285%). 

Income and Poverty 

Currently, older Americans control the 
majority of wealth in the U.S. However, 
not all older Americans are economically 
well off, in 2000 nearly 17% of older 
adults lived in or near the poverty level. 
The Baby Boom generation as a whole 
has not planned for its retirement— • 
average savings of Baby Boomers is $30K. 
The median family income of older 
homeowners was $23,409 in 2001, while 
the median family income of older renters 
was $12,233. 




Health Status 

With advances in medical care, older 
Americans are living longer and healthier 
lives. However, in 1999, 26.1% of older 
persons assessed their health as fair or 
poor (compared to 9.2% of all persons). 
Minority elders were most likely to rate 
their health as fair or poor (African- 
Americans 41.6% and Hispanics (35.1%). 
Limitations on activities of daily living due 
to chronic conditions increase with age. 

In 1998, 28.8% of 65-74 year olds reported 
limitations due to chronic conditions 
whereas over half (50.6%) of 75+ year olds 
reported limitations. 

Housing Status 

Of the 21.8 million households headed by 
older persons in 2001, 80% were owners 
and 20% were renters. About 73% of older 
homeowners in 2001 owned their home 
free and clear. In 2001, the median value 
of homes owned by older persons was 
$107,398, compared to a median home 
value of $123,887 for all homeowner.s. 

The median year of construction for 
homes occupied by older householders 
in 2001 was 1963, while it was 1970 for ali 
householders. Eighty-nine percent of older 
adults report that they want to remain in 
their homes for as long as possible. 

Work and Retirement 

In 2000, 4.2 million (12.8%) of older 
Americans were in the labor force. Studies 
indicate that Baby Boomers want (and may 
need) to continue working. Many Baby 
Boomers report that they want to retire 
from their current jobs and return to 
work in other fields—creating markets for 
lifelong learning and job retraining. 


18 


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S. Markwood/E. Walbeck 


Volunteerism and Civic Engagement 

Forty-five percent of older adults volunteer 
annually, donating 1.8 billion hours of 
their time at an estimated value of $22.7 
billion. Baby Boomers report different 
interests in volunteering than the current 
older generation—they want more 
meaningful work, flexible hours, expect 
professional management. 

Arts and Cultural Activities 

The arts and cultural activities are very 
important to older adults and there are 
many social benefits associated with their 
participation in these activities. 

What Does the Aging of the Population 
Mean for U.S. Communities? 

The dramatic rise in the numbers of older 
Americans will impact on every aspect of U.S. 
communities. The entire social, physical and 
fiscal fabric of communities will be affected by 
the coming age wave. 

Redefining Aging... 

Redefining Communities 

By their sheer numbers, the aging of the Baby 
Boomers is resulting in: 

• A new DEFINITION of aging (85 is 
now becoming the definition of old)', 

• A new ATTITUDE towards aging ( older 
Americans control the majority of the wealth 
in the U.S., but many want to and may need 
to continue to work past what was considered 
retirement age; because of their numbers, they 
have political clout and use it ); 


• A new INTEREST in aging ( health care, 
housing, and advertisements — including 
political campaigns—are now being aimed 
at older Americans). 

Baby Boomers as Citizens 

Baby Boomers have changed the face of U.S. 
society since they were in diapers and will 
continue to do so as they. age. They are a 
generation that demands service; they want 
what they want and they want it now! 

Impacts of the Aging Population on 
Communities 

Health 

Because of the increasing numbers of 
aging Americans, the communities they 
live in are faced with providing access 
to health care services and consumer 
directed care. Long-term care will have 
to be redirected from institutional care 
to home and community-based services 
and promotion of health and wellness will 
become part of the community design. 
Health disparities within these changing 
communities must also be addressed. 

Housing 

Housing will also be impacted. Existing 
homes may need modifications .such as the 
addition of ramps, chair lifts, safety/grab 
bars, etc. Zoning changes may need to be 
made to allow different types of housing 
units within existing neighborhoods. 
Affordable housing options as well as 
assisted living facilities will have to be 
developed. There is also a new specialized 
market (niche) for the development of 
active adult communities. 


19 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 





Preparing for the Aging Explosion: 

The Impact of “Aging in Place” on America’s Communities 


Transportation 

Highway engineers need to consider the 
increase of older drivers when designing 
streets and roads to make them safer 
for the older driver, including such 
things as larger signs, smoother curves, 
and less obstacles. Sidewalks and street 
crossings may also need to be redesigned 
to make them more accessible for older 
pedestrians. And, mobility options— 
transit, Paratransit 1 , volunteer drivers— 
may need to be provided. 

Land-Use Planning 

Local and state planning and public works 
departments must now consider the older 
population when reviewing documents 
such as the master plan, zoning and . 
subdivision requirements, building codes, 
the capital improvements plan, and the 
transportation plan. 

Public Safety 

Departments of public safety may need to 
revise some of their priorities to include 
“elder” abuse and neglect, senior scams, 
emergency evacuations (Homeland 
Security) of older and sometimes disabled 
adults, and emergency medical services for 
older Americans. 

• / . 

Parks and Recreation 

Parks and recreation departments should 
also revamp their programs to promote 
and include intergenerational fitness and 
exercise and wellness activities. 


Workforce Development/Education 

As the population grows older many 
individuals have indicated that they want 
to, and may need to, continue to work past 
what was considered “normal” retirement 
age. This will provide a challenge to labor 
and education departments to provide/ 
promote job retraining opportunities, 
job flexibility, lifelong learning, and 
retirement planning. 

Volunteerism/Civic Engagement 

Volunteer opportunities will need to be 
restructured to meet changing demands, 
capitalizing on the expertise of an older 
population. 

Arts and Cultural Activities 

Older adults value the presence of com¬ 
munity arts and cultural activities and seek 
out opportunities for civic engagement, 
self expression and maintaining social 
interaction. This may be a challenge for 
some communities to provide. 

Economic Development/Fiscal Impact 

The aging population must be considered 
when governmental budgets are dev¬ 
eloped. Older adults require/desire/ 
demand/deserve more services, but 
an increasing percentage is on fixed 
incomes and generally contribute less 
in taxes. Property tax relief programs 
and senior discounts may impact future 
budgets resulting in the revision of the tax 
structure at the local, state, and national 
level. 


1 Paratransit organizations expand mobility options by advocating for a fully 
accessible, usable, and Integrated public transportation system and providing • 
innovative community transportation services. They are usually private, nonprofit 
transportation companies, specializing in transportation call-center management 
and public transit operations. They provide accessible transportation services to 
those who need it the most—persons who are elderly or disabled or who live in 
rural areas without personal means of transportation. 


20 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 








S. Markwood/E. Walbeck 


Aging in Place/Smart Growth 


n4a/PLC Aging in Place Project 


Making communities “elder friendly” is a key 
element of Smart Growth Planning. 

Aging in Place 

Eighty-nine percent of olcler-adUlts report 
that they want to remain in their homes 
for as long as possible. Communities 
that become good places for people to 
grow up and to grow old result in better 
communities for all ages. • 

Preparing for aging in place results in 
better communities for all ages. 


Aging 
In Place 
Initiative: 
Program 
Layout 


£ 


/H 

18-months 

r 



t 

FLIGHT 1 



FLIGHT 2 CANDIDATES 

Evansville, IN 


Memphis, TN 

Syracuse, NY 


Cleveland, OH 

Lexington, KY 


Kansas City, MO . 

Colorado Springs, CO 


St. Paul, MN 

Battle Creek Ml 


Seattle, WA 

Washington, DC 


Milwaukee, Wl 

Ft. Wayne, IN 


Cincinnati, OH 

Jacksonville, FL 


Atlanta, GA 

Martinsville, VA 


Howard County, MD 

Rochester, NY 


Flagstaff, AZ 


The National Association of Area Agencies 
on Aging and the Partners for Livable 
Communities (PLC) are working together on 
an aging in place initiative, which emphasizes 
“elder friendly” growth. This initiative will: 

• Target 20 communities; 

• Facilitate community dialogue on 
Aging in Place; 

• Assist communities develop blueprints 
for Aging in Place; 

• Provide technical assistance to move 
blueprints into action; and 

• Develop peer networks of community 
leaders to lead the challenge on Aging 
in Place. 


Aging is diverse and dynamic and 
the aging in place initiative will, by 
necessity, have to change/adapt over 
time. 


PUBLICATION OF 
NATIONAL BLUEPRINTS' 


A publication of the twenty 
communities that can be 
adapted, changed and ratified 
for any community in America. 


COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE 
PROGRAM 


This program is designed to 
give any community in the U.S. 
assistance on elder-friendly 
community design. Materials 
and knowledge will already 
have come from'work with the 
first 20 communities. 


AGING IN PLACE 
CLEARINGHOUSE 


A website that will inform 
people on Aging in Place in 
general and partners/n4a's role 
in the process. 


5 


TAKE IT ON THE ROAD 


With the help of national ’ 
organizations like ICMA and 
Volunteers of America, we will 
be able to go to each 
community under their umbrella 
and do conferences on 'how to 
be elder-friendly'. As aging 
demographic grows, this may 
become mandatory in cities, 
states, and regions. 


EXPERT SUPPORT 


Be able to utilize the large 
network of colleagues that 
Partners and n4a has created 
over the years. With this tool, 
Partners/n4a wil be able to sub¬ 
contract someone who has 
more experience in a specific 
field such as housing. 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 21 




































Preparing for the Aging Explosion: 

The Impact of “Aging in Place” on America’s Communities 


Issues Discussed After Presentation 

• The difficulty of aging in place in the 
inner suburbs due to the tax structure; 

• The difficulty of obtaining participation 
by all of the agencies involved—health, 
housing, transportation—and having 
everyone use the same terminology; 

• The stages of need of those older 
Americans aging in place, from 
assistance with chores to personal care 
to health care. 


22 


Proceedings 1 August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 




Charles Longino, Ph.D . 1 and Don E. Bradley, Ph.D . 2 

^ake Forest University and 2 East Carolina University 

. . ' ' ■ . / ■ 

Introduction 


For nearly thirty years I have studied geo¬ 
graphical mobility in later life. During this 
time my work has focused on theories and 
patterns of migration more than on the 

impacts .of migration on the community or 

. 

environment. Over the past two decades, 
however, some state governments have 
become very interested in understanding the 
economic impact of later life migration on 
their destination communities and destination 
states. If retirees move in large numbers to 
a state and spend their retirement income 
in that state, it could provide strength to the 
state economy. The money they spend would 
circulate and generate tax revenue for the 
states, as well as jobs for the local community. 

Before the topic of impact can be understood, 
however, it is necessary to provide some 
background on the general phenomenon of 
later-life migration. We are so accustomed 
to thinking of geographical mobility' as 
a labor force equilibration mechanism, 
getting labor redistributed as areas of the 
country rise or decline economically, that 
it is difficult to understand the function of 
later-life migration. In an economic context, 
geographical movement after retirement 
seems epiphenomenal. 


When age and retirement are considered 
simultaneously, demographers have been 
quick to point out that geographical mobility is 
dominated by young people moving away from 
their parent’s home and establishing a home 
of their own, motivated primarily either by 
education, jobs or marriage. When comparing 
age-based rates of migration, it is among 
young adults that mobility comes alive. In this 
context, later-life migration has been relatively 
invisible. 

Percent of Interstate Mover 



Figure 1. Age and Mobility: Interstate Migrants in the 
U.S., 1995-2000. 


We were interested to discover that although 
less than 5% of the population of persons 
age 60+ make interstate moves during 
the 5 years before each census, it is their 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 23 
































Later-Life Migration Impacts 


tendency to concentrate that sets them apart 
from migration in the general population. 
Channelization is the term given to this 
phenomenon. Nearly a third of all interstate 
migrants move to just three states, Florida, 
Arizona and California, and 54% move to 
the top ten states out of 50, one fifth of the 
states. Within these states there are further 
concentrations so, for example, if one visits 
a shopping mall in some parts of Florida it 
seems that over half the population is over 60. 


The second characteristic of later-life 
migration discovered in our earlier work 
is that retirees tend to move down the 
metropolitan hierarchy, from larger to smaller 
places. Young people tend to move up the 
metropolitan hierarchy in search of economic 
opportunity. Older people do not all move 
to fragile, rural environments; most move to 
smaller metropolitan areas. 

With this as background, we can turn to the 
issue of migration impact. 


Table 1. Ten states receiving most in-migrants age 60+ in five-year periods ending in 
1980, 1990 and 2000. 

/---- ——S 

1980 1990 2000 

Rank State # % State # % State # % 

1 FL 

2 CA 

3 AZ 

4 TX 

5 NJ 

6 PA 

7 NC 

8 WA 

9 IL 

10 NY 


Total 1,622,120 

Interstate 

Migrants 

1,901,105 


2,096,841 

% of Total in Top 59.5 


56.3 

54.3 

. 10 States 




V 





437,040 

26.3 

FL 

451,709 

23.8 

FL 

401,052 

19.1 

144,880 

8.7 

CA 

131,514 

6.9 

AZ 

134,183 

6.4 

94,600 

5.7 

AZ 

98,756 

5.2 

CA 

127,693 

6.1 

78,480 

4.7 

TX 

78,117 

4.1 

TX 

101,446 

4.8 

49,400 

3.0 

NC 

64,530 

3.4 

NC 

77,720 

3.7 

39,520 

. 2.4 

PA 

57,538 

3.0 

GA 

• V ' " 

63,120 

3.0 

39,400 

2.4 

NJ 

49,176 

2.6 

NV 

62,155 

3.0 

35,760 

2.2 

WA 

47,484 

2.5 

PA 

60,082 . 

2.9 

35,720 

2.1, 

VA 

46,554 

2.4 

NJ 

54,425 

2.6 

34,920 

2.1 

GA 

44,475 

2.3 

VA 

53,776 

2.6 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 


24 








C. Longino/D. Bradley 


Migration Impact 

There are several non-age based impacts. 
Whether or not a new resident is young or old, 
her presence increases the local demand for 
public safety and public health. In addition, 
population congestion increases the “hassle 
factor.” 

The issue of the impact of migration on 
fragile environments falls into the category 
of non-age based impacts. The age of 
migrants therefore is less important than 
their presence. Later-life migrants become 
relevant to fragile environments primarily in 
their ability to make a move independent of 
an earned income, thereby expanding the 
population over and above the jobs that are 
available to support it. 

Economic Impact 

The decade of the 1990s began with a spate of 
articles considering the economic impact of • 
retirees at their destination. A sizable amount 
of annual income is transferred to and from 
states, concentrating in major destination 
states, due to retirement migration (Longino 
and Crown, 1990; Crown and Longino, 1991; 
Sastry, 1992; Serow, Friedrich and Haas, 1992). 

Simultaneously, 515 rural counties where 
the older population was growing through 
migration, outperformed nonmetropolitan 
area averages for job growth (Reeder and 
Glasgow, 1990; Glasgow, 1991). These studies 
argued that older migrants had not been 
an excessive burden on local public service 
expenditures, which tended to be low in any 
case (Glasgow and Reeder, 1990; Glasgow, 
1995), a point echoed by Joseph and Cloutier 
(1991) concerning rural Canadians. Voss 
and Fuguitt (1991) showed that in rural low- 
income counties in the South, new income 


from migrants only replaced that taken out 
by out-migrants. These were not the same 
set of counties, however, that Glasgow called 
“retirement counties.” Hodge (1991) reported 
data supportive of Glasgow’s analysis in his 
study of smaller communities in the province 
of British Columbia, Canada. Bennett (1992, 
1993, 1996) offered strong support for 
Glasgow’s observations in his study of high- 
amenity retirement counties on the Atlantic 
seaboard. Schneider and Green (1992) 
however, noted that the economic success of 
the retirement counties cannot be attributed 
simply to retirement migration alone. Rural 
counties, when accessible to heavily traveled 
transportation corridors and abundant with 
amenities, are attractive to young people as 
well. Deller (1995) used a regional economic 
model to simulate the impact of a policy of 
retirement recruitment on the state of Maine, 
showing a significant beneficial short-run 
economic impact. Serow (2003) warns of 
possible negative future long-run impacts. 

Local Political Activism 

and Support for Public Services 

The positive economic impact must be 
balanced against a negative political 
effect. Local voting studies have tended 
to examine the results of local school 
budget referenda. Using the results of 
school district bond elections in Florida, 
Button (1992) and especially McManus 
(1997) found that a higher percentage 
of elderly residents and voters in a school 
district are associated with lower support 
. for schools. This finding is consistent with 
recent research by Simonsen and Robbins 
(1996), who found that citizens and 
senior citizens, in particular, were much 
less supportive of public services that they 
do not expect to use. This would include 
schools. 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


25 






Later-Life Migration Impacts 


Impact on Community 
Social Structure and Values 

Longino (1990) argued that retirement 
enclaves in rural counties tend to be 
worlds unto themselves, relatively 
unattached to local social structure. 
McHugh and Gober (2002) call them 
“common interest developments.” Cuba 
(1992) even argued that on Cape Cod, 
the distinguishing characteristics of 
older migrants make them susceptible to 
scapegoating by nonmigrants and younger 
migrants. 

Later studies have seen migrants as more 
proactive, as change agents in their com¬ 
munities. Rowles and Watkins (1993), for 
example, provide case studies of three 
contrasting Appalachian communities 
at different stages of development as 
retirement destinations (emergence, rec¬ 
ognition, restructuring, and saturation). 
This study is refreshingly insightful 
because it analyzes retirement migration 
in a broader social context. For example, 
middle-class retirees are likely to band 
together to protect the environmental 
ambiance of the community. The lure of 
economic development through retiree 
recruitment, in some small towns, could 
have disappointing consequences for local 
boosters as the size and power of the older 
population increases. 

Projecting Impact Factors 
Into the Future 

One can assume that the rates of interstate 
migration will be stable over time. The 
current rates have been stable since 1980. 
During this period, about 4.5% of persons 
age 60 and older made interstate moves in 
any 5-year period. At the time of the census 


in each of those three decades essentially the 
same proportion indicated that they had lived 
in a different state five years earlier. If the 
rates of migration are stable, then the factor 
that would cause the number of migrants to 
rise or fall would be growth in the age group. 
In this regard, the older population has been 
growing, relative, to the rest of the population, 
for decades. In addition, in 2008 the oldest 
Baby Boomer will take early retirement at 
age 62 and begin drawing a social security 
retirement income. Over the next 18 years, the 
Baby Boom will pass through the retirement 
years. The number of later-life migrants will 
increase during this time, as well as their 
economic and social impact. 

Table 2. Migration during five-year periods ending in 
1960, 1970, 1.980, 1990 and 2000. 

Interstate Migrants 



Add to this growth, the fact that there will be 
a shift in destinations. Florida will continue 
to benefit from the growth in important ways. 
However, the growing number of migrants will 
cause much smaller destinations to become 
visible, perhaps for the first time. There are 
beautiful vistas in this country that attract 
retirees. Some of these are in ecological 
regions that require a delicate environmental 


26 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 













G. Longino/D. Bradley 


-- 

2.8 



Figure 2 Average Annual Growth Rate of the 
Elderly Population: 1970-1990 to 2030-2050 


balance. It is possible that the construction of 
new homes to accommodate the increasing 
retirement population will threaten the 
environment. 

The short-term impact of retirement migra¬ 
tion is positive. Certainly the economic impact 
pumps dollars into the local economy, primar¬ 
ily creating service jobs. The human and social 
capital that is produced through volunteering 
and other community activity is positive as 
well. Older migrants often wish to preserve 
the environmental beauty of their destination, 
thus protecting their investment, so to speak. 
This makes them easy allies of environmen¬ 
talists seeking to preserve environmental 
integrity. 

Longer-term impact, however, may be 
negative. The growth in the numbers of later- 
life migrants between 2008 and 2030 can 
be expected to put pressure on the health 
delivery system, on the housing industry, 
and on the environment. When the Baby 
Boomer cohort has passed through the early 
retirement years, there will be Opportunities to 
convert retirement housing to other purposes, 
as well as a change in the service mix in 
retirement destinations. During this time there 


will not be the ever-increasing flow of retirees 
into the area, but a declining number. The 
decline in the arrival of recent retirees will 
make the older population seem to age more 
rapidly. With its aging, there will be a shift 
from the recreation needs of the “young old,” 
to the health and service needs of the “old- 
old.” 

Of course one should not forget the 
mediating factors that may change this . 
picture. Since the 1980 census, researchers 
have been aware of counterstream migration. 
That is, for every major stream of older 
migrants, for example, from New York to 
Miami, there is a counterstream, for example, 
from Miami to New York. This counterstream 
carries away some of the service demand 
generated by the aging of the older 
population. 

Also, it should be recognized that the much 
larger geographically stable population 
will also age, so that the aging of the older 
migrants will not stand out and create a 
separate cause of alarm. The demand for 
health and social services for the older 
population will be widespread. It will be. a 
national issue, not just a local issue. 

Conclusions 

The impact of older persons who migrate 
is complex and goes far beyond their 
impact on fragile environments. They have 
economic, political and social impacts as well. 
Also, their environmental impacts must be 
weighed against their tendency to support 
environmental protection in their new 
locations, when they become aware of such 
issues. Like the Dr. Seuss character, the Lorax, 
long-distance migrants in late life “speak for 
the trees.” 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


27 















Later-Life Migration Impacts 


References 

Bennett, D.G. 1992. The Impact of Retirement 
Migration on Carteret and Brunswick 
Counties, N.D. North Carolina Geographer 1: 25- 
38. 

Bennett, D.G. 1993. Retirement migration and 
economic development in high-amenity, 
nonmetropolitan areas. The Journal of Applied 
Gerontology 12(4): 466-481. 

Bennett, D.G. 1996. Implications of retirement 
development in high-amenity nonmetropolitan 
coastal areas. The Journal of Applied Gerontology 
15(3): 345-360. 

Button, J.W. 1992. A sign of generational conflict: 
The impact of Florida’s aging voters on 
local school and tax referenda. Social Science 
Quarterly 73(4): 786-797. 

Crown, W.H. and C. F. Longinojr. 1991. State 
and regional policy implications of elderly 
migration. Journal of Aging and Social Policy 3: 
185-207. 

Cuba, L.J. 1992. The Cape Cod retirement migration 
study: A final report to the National Institute on 
Aging. Wellesley, MA: Wellesley College. 

Deller, S.C. 1995. Economic impact of retirement 
migration. Economic Development Quarterly 9(1): 
25-38. 

Glasgow, N.L. 1991. A place in the country. 
American Demographics 13(3): 24-30. 

Glasgow, N.L. 1995. Retirement migration and the 
use of services in nonmetropolitan counties. 
Rural Sociology 60(2): 224-243. 

Glasgow, N.L. and R.J. Reeder. 1990. Economic 
and fiscal implications of nonmetropolitan 
retirement migration. The Journal of Applied 
Gerontology 9(4): 433-451. 

Hodge, G. 1991. The economic impact of retirees 
on smaller communities. Research on Aging, 
13(1): 39-54. 

Joseph, A.E. and D.S. Cloutier. 1991. Elderly 
migration and its implications for service 
provision in rural communities: An Ontario 
perspective. Journal of Rural Studies 7(4): 433- 
444. 


Longino, C.F.,Jr. 1990. Geographical distribution 
and migration. In Handbook of aging and the 
social sciences , third edition, by R.H. Binstock 
and L.K. George (Eds.), 45-63. San Diego, CA: 
Academic Press. 

Longino, C.F., Jr. and W.H. Crown. 1990. 

Retirement migration and interstate income 
transfers. The Gerontologist 30: 784-789. 

McHugh, K., P. Gober and D. Borough. 2002. The 
Sun City Wars. Urban Geography 23(7): 627-648. 

McManus, S. 1997. Selling school taxes and bond 
issues to a generationally diverse electorate: 
Lessons from Florida referenda. Government 
Finance Revieiv April: 17-22. 

Reeder, R.J. and N.L. Glasgow. 1990. Non-metro 
retirement counties’ strengths and weaknesses. 
Rural Development Perspectives 6(2): 12-17. 

Rowles, G.D. and J.F. Watkins. 1993. Elderly 
migration and development in small 
communities. Growth and Change 24: 509-538. 

Sastry, M.L. 1992. Estimating the economic 

impacts of elderly migration: an input-output 
analysis. Growth and Change 23(1): 54-79. 

Schneider, M.J. and B.L. Green. 1992. A 
demographic and economic comparison 
of nonmetropolitan retirement and 
nonretirement counties in the V.S. Journal of 
Applied Sociology 9: 63-84. 

Serow, W.J. 2003. Economic Consequences of 
Retiree Concentrations: A Review of North 
American Studies, The Gerontologist '43(6): 897- 
903. 

Serow, W.J., K. Friedrich and W.H. Haas. 1992. 
Measuring the economic impact of retirement 
migration: The case of western North Carolina. 
The Journal of Applied Gerontology 11 (2): 200-215. 

Simonsen, W. and M. Robbins. 1996. Does it make 
any difference anymore? Competitive versus 
negotiated municipal bond issuance. Public 
Administration Revieiv 56(1): 57-64. 

Voss, P.R. and G.V. Fuguitt. 1991. The impact of 
migration on southern rural areas of chronic 
depression. Rural Sociology 56(4): 660-679. 


28 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 





FANBY-ism in an Aging Society: 
In Search of Arcadia 1 
Still Searching for Paradise 






Scott Wright, Ph.D. 

University of Utah 

“The search for environmental quality is as fundamental as the search for a 
higher material standard of living: in fact the former is an outgrozuth of a further 
development of the latter. ” 

Samuel P. Hays (1998). Explorations in Environmental History , p. 11 


Preface 

When examining the prospect of increased 
longevity in the U.S. and concomitant issues 
(e.g., political, economic,.social) associated 
with demographic aging, it is de rigueur to 
bring the aging of Baby Boomers into the 
equation. There is already a plethora of 
literature on the impact and profiling of aging 
Baby Boomers. For the purposes of this paper, 

I would like to highlight two examples. In 
one example, Munnell (2004) has provided 
a contextual analysis of the Baby Boomer 
cohort in perspective with broader and long¬ 
term demographic trends in fertility rates 
and increased longevity. In short, Munnell 
has correctly identified that our nation is 
facing a permanent change in its demographic 
profile (toward population aging) and not 
simply a temporary “wave effect” of aging Baby 
Boomers. In other words, the traditional “pig 
in a python” metaphor may be a graphically 
provocative way of describing the “passing 
though” of the cohort, but it also implies 
that life will return to normal once the last 
“Boomer” dies. Instead, Munnell (2004) 


indicates that long after the Baby Boomers 
are gone—2080 appears to be the date when 
virtually all Boomers will have ceased to 
exist—an aging society will be here to stay 
for the long-term-—well into the 22 nd century. 
The point here is that while the Baby Boomer 
cohort will be the cause of rapid aging in 
the U.S. in the coming decades, the ultimate 
outcome and end result is a transformation 
toward a sustained aged society. Thus, any 
discussion of aging and environmental 
issues will not just be a “passing through" 
issue associated with the aging of the Baby 
Boomer cohort; rather, the nexus of aging 
and environmental issues will be a social and 
public health concern for all subsequent 
cohorts as well. 

In the other example, Coughlin (1999) 
highlights the technology needs of aging 
Boomers and presents a convincing argument 
for considering the power and potential of 
technology to address the challenges of the 
aging process for increasing numbers of older 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 29 








FANBY-ism in an Aging Society: 

In Search of Arcadia Still Searching for Paradise 


adults. However, Coughlin (1999) argues 
that after witnessing the advancements of life 
expectancy in the 20 lh century and spending 
billions to achieve longevity, we have not 
made equitable investments in the physical 
infrastructure necessary to ensure healthy 
independent living for aging individuals. In 
other words, living longer may not inevitably 
assumed to be matched by living better or 
simply living well. Coughlin (1999) is one 
of many scholars who highlight the need 
for addressing the qualitative dimensions 
of living longer in an aging society. Thus, 
we have to consider the pragmatic and 
ethical prospects of diminishing resources 
(economic and environmental) that may 
not sustain increasing numbers of people 
with a meaningful level of well-being and 
quality of life. In effect, I propose that we 
are at the crossroads where demographic 
aging, human ecology and environmental 
issues converge in a “drama of the commons” 
(Dietz et al., 2002; see also Freyfogle, 2003) 2 
. In this case, the “commons” are represented 
by the “other” infrastructure which is the 
array of natural resources and ecosystem 
services that support and sustain human 
functioning 3 . While assorted publications 
have begun to address pervasive economic, 
social and political effects of an “aging society” 
(e.g., Morgan, 1998), there has been little 
discussion about the impact of the “age wave” 
(Dychtwald, 1990) in relation to natural 
resources and environmental quality. Likewise 
there is scant literature paid to the reciprocal 
impact of environmental conditions (i.e., 
environmental quality and environmental 
hazards) on the well-being of aging individuals 
and collectively, an aging society (see Wright, 
2000; Wright, 2003). However, progress is 
becoming more evident, especially as EPA has 
begun to address the intersection of these 
issues. Although my research has examined 


many factors associated with environmental 
issues and aging, this paper specifically 
focuses on the nuances of demographics, 
elderly migration patterns and environmental 
impact. These nuances reflect the need to 
closely examine the diversity within aging 
cohorts in relation to environmental issues. 

As Coughlin (1999) has noted, “The aging 
Boomers are not the first generation to grow 
old; however, their absolute number will move 
issues associated with their aging to the top of 
the policy agenda.” Thus, the behemoth-like 
profile (the quantitative dimension) of the 
age wave will have significant ramifications 
for contemporary and future environmental 
policy (Tonn et al., 2001). Yet, it is not just 
the absolute number of aging Boomers 
(the sheer magnitude) that demands our 
undivided attention, it is also the variation 
within the aging Boomers (the qualitative 
dimension) and all aging cohorts that will 
be the touchstone by which any and future 
environmental policy (i.e., the “aging 
initiative”) should be differentiated. While 
it is tempting to profile the aging Boomers 
into a collective block and then prognosticate 
accordingly, this is bound to be misleading 
and potentially reckless. Policy directives, 
research projects and educational programs 
related to environmental issues and aging 
must take into account the prospective 
variability and novel emerging patterns within the 
Baby Boomer cohort in order to effectively 
target prevention and intervention measures. 
For the purposes of this paper, I examine one 
specific pattern—retirement migration— 

(one of many) in relation to environmental 
resources. 


30 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 








S. Wright 


The Emergence of 21 st Century 
Retirement Hot Spots—Not Your 
Father’s Oldsmobile 

The increased attraction of the western U.S. as 
a relocation and retirement destination has been 
demonstrated in recent U.S. Bureau of the 
Census data and in other recent publications 
(see Wright, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004). For 
example, over the next 30 years the West is 
projected to grow nearly twice the national 
average, while the Northeast and Midwest will 
grow at one-half the U.S. total rate. During the 
1995 to 2025 period, the South and West are 
expected to increase by more than 29 million 
persons: California is expected to be the fastest 
growing State from 1995 to 2025 (65%). Out 
of the top 10 fastest growing states, eight are in 
the western region. They are: California, New 
Mexico, Hawaii, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, 
Alaska (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1996). The 
Census Bureau projects that in 2020 California 
would have the nation’s largest elderly 
population, with 6.6 million persons 65 and 
over, a 100% increase from 1993 (although it 
is projected Florida will continue to have the 
nation’s highest proportion of state population 
aged 65 years and over). 

The regional relocation of the elderly to the 
South and West has been occurring among the 
younger elderly since the 1960s and among the 
older elderly since the 1970s. In addition to the 
older adult migrants to these areas generally 
tending to be among the young-old, they have 
also tended to be relatively well educated 
and relatively well off financially. As a result, 
such migrants tend to rejuvenate and enrich 
the older population of the receiving states 
(Hobbs and Damon, 1996; see also Longino, 
1995). 


Over the decade of the 1980s, the largest 
percentage increases in elderly population 
(65 years and over) were mostly in the West, 
particularly the Mountain States and in the 
South. For example, the Mountain Division of 
the West region (Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, 
Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and 
Nevada) experienced a 42.9% increase in 
population 65 and over between the years 
1980 to 1990 (Hobbs and Damon, 1996). 

The population 65 and over is expected 
to double in the top seven states with the 
fastest growing elderly population. The States 
with the most rapid growth of the elderly 
population in rank order are Alaska, Utah, 
Idaho, Colorado, Nevada, Wyoming and 
Washington. These states are projected to have 
an average annual rate of growth of change 
for the elderly that ranges from 5.1% to 6.9% 
between 1995 and 2025. The Mountain region 
is expected to have 11.4% of their population 
in the elderly category by the year 2000, 12.4% 
by the year 2010 and 16% by the year 2020 
(Hobbs and Damon, 1996). Seven states in the 
West region are projected to experience 100% 
or more change in population 65 years and 
over between the years 1993 to 2020 (Utah = 
102.4%; Nevada = 115.6%; Arizona = 111.9%; 
Colorado = 108%). 

While select southeastern states (e.g., Florida 
and Georgia) continue to draw a substantial 
number of migrant retirees each year, there 
has been an increased interest in other major 
destination spots in the U.S. For example, 
Longino and Bradley (2003) have examined 
preliminary estimates of the number and 
proportion of retirement migrants (based on 
Census 2000 data) and have found that the 
traditional leading destinations, like Florida, 
have declined slightly in its position over 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


31 




FANBY-ism in an Aging Society: 

In Search of Arcadia Still Searching for Paradise 


rock climbing and rafting provide 
the ritual by which people of a 
certain age have been putting up 
determined battle against aging.... 
The very term “New West” remains 
a Baby Boomer’s dream come 
true...the West has received special 
dispensation, an option to reverse 
the rules of the universe. Time 
passes; ordinary logic reverses; and 
the Old West ages into the New 
West.” 


the past two decades. Thus, Longino and 
Bradley (2003) have stated that “the leading 
destinations were spreading out, becoming 
slightly less concentrated.” For example, 
Longino and Bradley (2003) noted that the 
“New West” is a rising retirement region (see 
also Frey, 2000). They point out that while 
Arizona has anchored the regional area, 
other states, such as Nevada, have emerged 
as leading destinations for older adults. 

It is proposed that the 21 s ! century will be 
exemplified by the emergence of new areas 
for relocation and retirement, and that the 
“New West” states.will become a primary 
site for aging Baby Boomers who decide to 
relocate (see also Ribesame and Robb, 1997). 
For example, Limerick (1997), a contributor 
to the Atlas of the American West , offers an 
interesting psychological motivation (with 
recreational opportunities and landscape 
ecology as amenities) for the allure of the 
“New West” for aging Baby Boomers: 

“In the outdoor sports of the 
New West, the dreams of the 
Baby Boomer childhood and the 
dreams of Baby Boomers middle 
age coincide. Performed in the 
landscape associated with televised 
western adventure, the vigorous 
. outdoor exercise associated with 
the New West seemed to provide 
a postponement of aging and ah 
extension of life itself...even if 
those years are going to add up 
anyway, Baby Boomers hold on to 
the option of behaving as if they are 
not over thirty, an option for which 
the New West provides an essential 
setting to play hide-and-go-seek with 
time. As much as they provide the 
center of the New West’s economy, 
hiking, mountain biking, skiing, 


Traditional geographic areas will still attract 
retirees over the next several decades, but the 
new emerging areas will offer key amenities 
to aging Baby Boomers that are associated 
with the broad term of “quality of life,” and 
more specifically with natural amenities (or 
“natural capital”) that are associated with 
environmental resources (e.g., water, air, land) 
and conditions that reflect a higher standard 
of environmental quality (e.g., less pollution, 
less congestion and sprawl) 4 . The emerging 
pattern of greater numbers of people seeking 
geographic areas that fulfill these conditions 
can also create stressors and strains on the 
very natural resources that were the primary 
attraction to begin with—and as a result, can 
lead to a “Find a New Backyard—FANBY” 
dynamic of “searching for paradise” (see 
Rasker and Hansen, 2000). It is proposed 
that this dynamic will become more acute 
especially in the New West states and in other 
areas of the U.S. In effect, it points to one 
of many emerging intersections between an 
aging society and environmental issues (see 
Tonn et ah, 2001). 

In summary, the western U.S. are experiencing 
rapid demographic growth and this growth 
is projected to continue for the next 
three decades. In addition to the overall 


32 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 




S. Wright 


demographic growth in the West, several 
states, including Nevada and Arizona, 
have been recognized as prime retirement 
migration destinations. Many retirement 
migration sites are characterized as fulfilling 
the need for amenity-seeking older adults who 
place a premium on quality-of-life indicators, 
recreational opportunities and scenic beauty 
of the natural landscape (Bennett, 1996). 
These sites are also known as “gateway 
communities.” Howe et al. (1997) have 
described these Arcadian areas this way: 

“Gateway communities—the towns 
and cities that border these public 
lands—are the destinations of 
choice for much of the country’s 
migrating populace. With their 
scenic beauty and high quality of 
life, gateway communities have 
become a magnet for millions of 
Americans looking to escape the 
congestion, banality and faster 
tempo of life in the suburbs and 
cities. Estes Park, Colorado, gateway 
to Rocky Mountain National Park 
and St. George, Utah, gateway to 
Zion National Park, have become 
havens for retirees looking for a 
picturesque place to spend their 
golden years. During the 1980s, 
the population of Estes Park grew 
by more than 35%, St. George’s 
population doubled.” 

However, rapid growth in certain geographic 
areas that are ecologically sensitive may not 
be conducive to the sustainability of natural 
resources and the resulting impact can be 
detrimental to the very qualities that would 
draw migrants to the area in the first place. 


Migration Patterns and “Pull” 

Factors: The Importance of “Quality 
of Life” 

There have been a substantial number of 
research publications addressing elderly 
mobility and the interstate migration patterns 
of older adults in the U,S. (Bennett, 1993; 
Clark et al., 1996; Hass and Serow, 1993, 1997; 
Newbold, 1996; Longino, 1990; Longino and 
Marshall, 1990). One of the major representa¬ 
tives of the amenity-seeking population (versus 
“dependency migrants”) in the U.S. is associ¬ 
ated with older adults who are involved in 
interstate (and intrastate) migration activities 
during the retirement years (see Clark et al., 
1996; Hass and Serow, 1993, 2002; Longino 
1995; Longino et al., 2002; Newbold, 1996; 
Valerio, 1997). 

As Longino (1995) indicated in his bench¬ 
mark book, “ Retirement Migration in America ,” 
most older adults do not move to another 
geographic location (migrate) as retirees, 
rather “most people stay put when they retire.” 
However, a significant number of older adults, 
seek to change their lifestyles is such a way that 
a change of territory is required (Longino, 

. 1995) , and most “ amenity-migrants are looking 
for settings that will afford a new and better 
lifestyle. Longino (1995) states: 

“Communities located on or near 
lakes, beaches or mountains, and 
those in temperate climates, have 
an advantage in attracting this type 
of migrant, who tends to be recently 
retired, and therefore younger, 
usually married and economically 
• better off than many other retirees. 
Interstate migration streams to the 
Sun Belt are laden with amenity 
retirees.” 



Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


33 




FANBY-ism in an Aging Society: 

In Search of Arcadia Still Searching for Paradise 


What is the primary amenity that migrant 
retirees seek when considering relocation 
to a new geographic area? Longino (1995) 
indicated that “quality of life” is at the heart 
of the process in deciding where to relocate 
in retirement migration. Longino (1995) 
elaborated upon the concept “ quality of life ” as 
a motivator in migration patterns: 

“When we pull from the bookstore 
shelf one of those reference 
volumes that offers advice 
about places to retire we are 
only examining the most recent 
packaging of an old concept, quality 
of life. A geographic definition of 
quality of life incorporates the 
concept of individual well-being 
but focuses more on places than 
individuals... Some of the subjective 
goals of older migrants can be 
discerned from the data we have 
• already observed. We know, for 
example, that climatic conditions 
favor Sun Belt locations. We know 
that there is a movement out of 
the most populous, presumably 
the most crowded, states. Moving 
to a place with less congestion and 
fewer <pf the problems that big cities 
tend to have must be attractive to 
- many retirees. The fact that people 
tend to move to the rim states, 
most of which are on water, must 
imply that there is more than climate 
that is attractive about the physical 
environment. Water and mountains, 
and scenic beauty in general, are 
traditional pulls." (Italics added) 

What we can surmise from Longino’s (1995) 
interpretation is that quality of life is very much 
connected to and represented by the aesthetics 


of natural environment characteristics, such as 
climate and scenic beauty, or as Pitt and Zube 
(1987) refer to as, the “noncommodity values” 
of natural environments. Although there 
are “push” factors such as urban congestion 
and crime as motivators for leaving a certain 
geographic area, the “pull” factors of the 
natural environment (Longino refers to this as 
the “physical environment”) toward a specific 
geographic area may be more influential in the 
decision-making process (see also Savageau, 
1995). Howe et al. (1977) also elaborate on 
the relationship between quality of life and the 
natural environment: 

“ Quality of life is a catchall term 
used to describe the noneconomic 
amenities a community has to offer, 
including clean air and water, safe 
streets, good schools and scenic 
views. Although the definition of 
quality of life may vary from person 
to person, people of every ethnic 
and economic background place a 
high value on it. Surveys indicate 
that quality of life weighs heavily in 
decisions people make about where 
they want to live and work. Indeed, 
throughout the country Americans 
are fleeing blighted suburbs and 
cities in search of cleaner, greener, 
smaller, safer and more neighborly 
communities. Gateway communities 
are leading destinations.” 

The importance of the natural environment 
is further corroborated by Carslon et al. 

(1998) who conducted a study to determine 
factors that affect retirement migration of 
older persons, using Hass and Serow’s (1993) 
“amenity” model as the framework. They 
focused on older migrants to the state of 
Idaho. Consistent with the findings of Hass 


34 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 







I 


S. Wright 


and Serow (1993, 1997), they found that 
attraction or “pull” factors, such as lower cost 
of living, lower population density, amenity 
opportunities and better quality of life, etc., 
explained more about why persons chose to 
immigrate, than did push factors or negative 
forces. For example, Carlson et al. (1998) 
indicated that, 

“The pull of Idaho, or their 
perception of what their lifestyle 
might be like in a predominant 
non-metropolitan state, was an 
important factor in their decision. 
Amenities such as scenic beauty and 
outdoor recreation were more likely 
to have attracted retirees than the 
presence of family members. The 
locations chosen were often areas 
that have outdoor amenities such 
as Kootenai County, which includes 
a resort community built around a 
mountain lake.” 

Valerio (1997) also found that when older 
adults are considering post-retirement moves, 
potential migrants weigh the amenities and 
disamenities, i.e., place characteristics, of 
their present location against those of other 
possible residential sites. Valerio (1997) has 
indicated that retired in-migrants are seeking 
areas characterized by the potential for a 
high standard of living in terms of “quality” 
and that economic factors are secondary 
considerations. Specific geographic areas that 
have warm climate areas are also important 
as this allowed the “pursuit of pleasure” and 
maximizing enjoyment year round. Valerio 
(1997) stated that, 

“By seeking out nonurbanized areas 
the retiree further enhances his 
total welfare by freeing himself from 


the congestion and crime potential 
of urban life. The rationale behind 
water and park amenities is obvious: 
more opportunities for pleasure! 

The retirees probably are not 
insisting on ocean front views and 
mountain vistas but are rather 
responding to the greater potential 
for enjoyable activities associated 
with natural resources.” 

Based on the works of Bennett (1996), 
Longino (1995), Carlson et al. (1993) and 
Valerio (1997), it appears that quality of life 
is an important variable for older adults in 
deciding where they will move, or “FANBY;” 
in the U.S. (see also Wheeler, 1996). 
Furthermore, quality of life appears to be 
defined by retired migrants as a mosaic of 
amenities which include the perceptions of 
increased personal space, toward geographic 
areas that are less congested, aesthetics of 
the natural environment, climate and the 
potential for recreation within or nearby these 
natural environment areas when seeking 
retirement relocation sites. It is interesting to 
note that Hays (1998) provided a historical 
perspective in the role of the natural 
environment as a provider of amenities 
within our social-cultural system. Hays 
proposed that originally the conservation 
movement in the U.S. was dominated by the 
perspective of “efficient production” but 
in the 1960s the environmental movement 
superseded the conservation movement by 
focusing on “quality”-or “amenity” rather 
than efficient economic development. The 
following statements by Hays (1995) reflect 
the historical transition toward the natural 
environment as an amenity that reflected the 
quality-of life-standards for most middle-class 
Americans. 



Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


35 




FANBY-ism in an Aging Society: 

in Search of Arcadia Still Searching for Paradise 


“New concepts arose that went 
beyond production to the 
enjoyment of life and concern for 
the quality of the environment 
necessary for that enjoyment. Air, 
water and land each came to be 
conceived of not as a commodity to 
be molded into a material product 
or as public facility for the disposal 
of waste, but as the environment in 
which people work, live and play. 

The “environment” was not a thing 
to be used for material purposes, 
but as the context of life and the 
enjoyment of life requires that the 
context be of one kind rather than 
another.” 

“The large scale suburbanization 
of the 1920s and beyond is one of 
the first major expressions of the 
search for environmental amenities, 
for less congested surroundings, 
clean air and less noise,...the 
outward thrust from the city...led 
to the use of the wider countryside 
and remaining wildlands, the 
enjoyment of the environmental 
quality of even less congested and 
less environmentally degraded 
area. This use was usually confined 
to n onoccupa t ion a lly times of one's 
life, either vacations or in retiremen t 
years, but it gave even more extensive 
expression to the search for clean, 
quiet, less developed and more natural 
surroundings." (Italics added) 

FAN BY and Environmental Impact 

The same quality of life amenities that served 

as attractions or “pulls” can suddenly diminish 


as growth transforms the natural landscape 
and brings with it the congestion of increased 
road-building, housing developments, services 
light-industries and of course, more people 
to a specific area that was at one time, “less 
congested, safer and cleaner” (see Bennett, 
1996). This evolutionary transformation has 
been described by Longino (1995) along 
with discussions of how the changes affect 
migration patterns: 

“So long as there is a perceived 
quality of life difference in the 
environments at origin and 
destination, the better quality of 
life will attract new residents who 
are retired. Retirees who moved 
into and have lived in a Sun Belt 
community for 10 or 15 years will 
often complain that the quality of 
life has declined since they arrived, 
and they often blame the decline on 
the retirees who followed them and 
those who keep coming. The reason 
they keep coming is that even in its . 
decline, as viewed by migrant old- 
timers, there is still a quality of life 
advantage as compared with where 
the new migrants originated. When 
the difference narrows, however, 
it begins to choke off in-migration 
and generate new pressure for 
retirement out migration from 
the destination. People who retire in 
Sun Belt cities sometimes subsequently 
move to less crowded places with greater 
scenic beauty, too, and feel that they 
have traded up on their quality of life." 

(Italics added) 

As Longino (1995) and Limerick (see 
Ribesame and Robb, 1997) have suggested, 
the traditional destination sites for retirement 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 


36 




S. Wright 


are beginning to serve as origin sites for 
secondary migration moves in order to 
upgrade in quality of life amenities found 
elsewhere (“still searching for paradise,” see 
Brooks, 2004). The end result is that many 
small-town geographic areas (e.g., exurbs, 
boomburbs, zoomburbs or micropolitan 
areas) are being identified, previously 
“undiscovered,” as retirement hot spots 
because they still maintain (at least for the 
time being) the quality of life amenities that 
migrant retirees are seeking. Power (1996) 
elaborated on this trend in the following 
description of magnet areas: 

“The economic geography of 
the United States has been 
transformed during the second 
half of the twentieth century as 
a result not of people passively 
relocating for work but, rather, 
actively seeking particular 
residential environments. How 
else to explain the suburbanization 
of U.S; metropolitan areas into 
World War II? For several decades 
suburbanization represented a 
move away from both employment 
and commercial centers. Certainly 
the negative aspects of living in the 
city—congestion, pollution, crime, 
ethnic conflict—spurred relocation, 
as did the positive aspects of 
suburban and exurban living: 
lower density, parklike settings, 
less social conflict. Similar motives 
lay behind the settlement of the 
desert Southwest and the Sunbelt 
in general. During the 1980s, 
while most of nonmetropolitan 
America suffered a depression, the 
economies of many rural counties 
with attractive landscape features 


experienced ongoing growth, 
testimony to the powerful draw 
of desirable living environments. 

During the first half of the 1990s, 
recreation and retirement communities 
continued to lead both metropolitan 
and nonmetropolitan areas in economic 
vitality." (Italics added) 

Of course, the evolutionary transformation 
of retirement “hot spots” also leads to a 
“domino-effect” where traditional-dominant 
retirement sites lose their appeal due to 
declining subjective and objective measures 
in quality of life, then putting pressure 
on other geographic areas to serve as re¬ 
location sites. Thus, the retirement hot spot 
development cycle all over again. In other 
words, the Arcadian dreamland then becomes 
a “victim of success” where economic growth 
and development transforms the natural 
environment and the previous amenities are 
mentioned nostalgically as “what it once was 
and used to be” (see Bennett, 1996). 

Rowles and Watkins (1993) examined 
intraregional elderly migration patterns in the 
Appalachian regions of North Carolina and 
Kentucky and identified potential benefits 
and costs of migration-based development. 
They proposed that one of the potential 
costs of elderly migration-based development 
centered on environmental concerns. Bennett 
(1996) found that although there is a growing 
awareness that attracting retirees can be a 
beneficial economic force in high amenity 
nonmetropolitan counties, there are many 
other implications of retirement growth that 
needs to be understood for strategic planning 
for the future. For example, Bennett (1996) 
noted that planners and several of those 
retirees who have lived along the South 
Atlantic for 25 to 39 years stated that when 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


37 





FANBY-ism in an Aging Society: 

In Search of Arcadia Still Searching for Paradise 


many older adults started moving to these 
coastal counties during the 1960s, these areas 
represented most of the remainder of the 
pristine coastal environments. Bennett (1996) 
said that: 

“Indeed, a large percentage of those 
who moved to these counties to 
retire during the past three decades 
did so primarily because of the 
beauty of the environment. Although 
few of these newcomers have seen 
themselves as altering—however 
slightly—the environment that 
lured them, the sum total of the impress 
on nature by all the retirees, tourists 
and developers has been substantial." 

(Italics added) 

Perhaps one of the most important pieces 
of literature to address FANBY-ism and 
environmental impact is the publication, “ The 
Promise of Paradise: Recreational and Retirement 
Communities in the United States since 195(T 
(Stroud, 1995). This book provides, from 
a geographical perspective, information 
about the location and size of large 
recreational-retirement communities and 
their environmental and economic impacts, 
beginning with the 1950s. As Stroud (1995) 
notes in his introduction, 

“The impact of recreational land 
development can be both positive 
and negative. Positive features 
include putting to use land that 
might otherwise be only marginally 
productive, thereby boosting 
rural economies by generating 
new tax revenues and consumer 
sales, stimulating the housing 
construction industry and providing 
recreational opportunities. These 


benefits must be weighed against 
the serious problems amenity- 
seeking populations bring as they 
move into rural areas, including 
the reduction of land resources, 
the environmental devastation of 
ecologically fragile land and the 
overtaxing of local public services.” 
(Italics added) 

However, as mentioned previously, the 
magnet, the natural environment, that draws 
people to new destinations is, ironically, often 
in jeopardy of being negatively transformed 
by the inherent developmental processes of 
“sprawl.” Increased numbers of people, more 
traffic and more congestion are the results 
associated with rapid growth, construction 
and growing infrastructure of services 
required to support the growing industry (the 
economic context) of retirement living (see 
Bennett, 1996; Davis, 1998a, 1998b; Gersh, 
1996; Romme, 1997; Stroud, 1995). In other 
words, these preferred Arcadian sites are 
often overwhelmed with increased numbers 
of others seeking the same amenities and 
the same ideal space. The dilemma in this 
evolutionary process is that the Arcadian site 
is then transformed into a living space that 
becomes reminiscent of the site-of-origin 
that the migrants left behind. Thus, there is 
the potential for the FANBY process to begin 
again. Power (1996) described the process; 

“The phenomenon of economic 
activity following and supporting 
people as they relocate is not 
necessarily positive change. At 
the extreme, it represents the 
Daniel Boone syndrome: people 
abandon the decaying urban areas 
of the Northeast for the fresh 
environments of California, which 


38 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 




S. Wright 


they proceed to “trash” before 
fleeing to the Pacific Northwest and 
from there, to the small towns of 
the inland West. One can interpret 
such shifts as a collective shunning 
of the social problems associated 
with modern urban living. Rather 
than confronting and solving problems, 
people move on and spread them." 
(Emphasis added) 

Without a sustainable philosophy to guide 
individuals and communities in growth 
and land-use planning, many who select 
ideal retirement areas often experience a 
reduction in the quality-of-life indicators 
and the problems of unchecked growth 
and development have followed the older 
migrants to their new Arcadian destinations. 

In the never-ending quest for Arcadia 
(FANBY), humans are in danger of not only 
permanently transforming natural landscapes, 
but also disconnecting themselves from any. 
degree of responsibility to the land or to 
their community of citizens (see Romme, 
1997). In order to accommodate the influx 
of new arrivals, many natural environments 
are also targeted as space for new building 
developments. This encroachment process 
of sprawl leads to difficult decisions 
regarding the limitation of development and 
implementing land-use planning. Hays (1998) 
has addressed the issues of limited space and 
overuse in the following statement: 

“The process of suburbanization 
and the search for leisure and 
recreational experience in more 
natural surroundings reflect the 
desire to seek a higher quality of 
space, where natural forces are 
more in evidence than in developed 
and congested areas of settlement. 


In both cases the initial search 
for quality of space soon becomes 
threatened by others who seek the 
same amenities. At some point the 
experience of “too many” begins 
to take shape, and the concept of 
the carrying capacity of the land, 
air and water begins to form. This 
generates the belief that overuse 
can destroy the resource that one 
wishes to enjoy and leads to a sense 
of limits. If space is encroached 
upon by development there is less 
space as natural environment.” 

Natural environments that are protected from 
development are also vulnerable to increased 
human encroachment in the form of over¬ 
loading and heavy usage as recreational and/ 
or tourist areas. Power (1996) has also made 
this an issue in his research on “lost landscapes 
and failed economies”: 

“Herds of tourists can degrade the 
very landscape or culture to which 
they are drawn. America’s national 
parks are a good example of this 
phenomenon. To cope with crowds, 
roads, lodgings and services can 
lead to water and air pollution as 
well as disrupt the landscape and 
its wildlife. When resort towns (or 
gateway communities) take off, 
surrounding open space tends to 
get swallowed up by condominium 
developments, “trophy” homes, 
golf courses, shopping malls and 
trailer parks. All of these come at 
a cost to the natural and cultural 
environments. Wildlife habitat is 
fragmented. The flow of effluents 
into the environment rises. The 
landscape that once drew people 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 







FANBY-ism in an Aging Society: 

In Search of Arcadia Still Searching for Paradise 


to the area is loved to death. 

Some natural areas are very fragile 
ecosystems that can tolerate only 
little human use.” 

As discussed earlier, many elderly migrants 
may use the tourist experience as a precursor 
to assist in the decision-making process 
toward permanent relocation (see Bennett, 
1996; Longino, 1995). After moving to the 
new location, these new residents are a 
part of the pressure placed on local natural 
environments. This is not an indictment 
on any one age group as the culprit in 
creating the sprawl pattern, but there is a 
need to examine more closely the impact 
of retirement communities on natural 
environment resources, especially in the 
context of an aging society. Retirement 
communities, especially the ones that offer 
recreational opportunities, and are in relative 
proximity to public and private open space, 
and located in favorable climates offer a 
microcosm to examine the impact of a 
concentrated demographic population in 
a specific geographic area. In effect, I am 
proposing more research effort in the area 
of aging and environmental impact—in 
addition to and beyond the dominant 
template of examining economic factors 
and consequences (see Crown and Longino, 
1991; Fagan and Longino, 1993). Rowles and 
Watkins (1993) have provided one of the 
foundational studies that broadened the scope 
of the impact of elderly migration beyond 
the economic focus and into the social and 
environmental domains. Bennett (1996) 
also considered the impact of retirement 
communities on environmental resources, but 
on a limited scale. 

Similar to Bennett (1996), Rowles and 
Watkins (1993) and Stroud (1995) found that 


the impact of recreational and retirement 
land development can be both positive 
and negative. For example, Stroud (1995) 
identified several positive outcomes such 
as putting to use land that might otherwise 
be marginally productive, thereby boosting 
rural economies by generating new tax 
revenues and consumer sales, stimulating the 
housing construction industry and providing 
recreational opportunities. However, Stroud 
(1995) proposed that the negative impact of 
these projects can far outweigh any positive 
benefits, especially if these developments are 
poorly planned and designed resulting in 
environmental damage, social and economic 
problems and overtaxing of public services. 
Stroud (1995) indicated that there are serious 
problems when amenity-seeking populations 
move into areas when the natural environment 
represented by ecologically sensitive areas and 
where there are few land-use regulations in 
place. Stroud states: 

“Much of the serious impact of 
recreational subdivisions can 
be linked to their development 
methods and their location. 
Unfortunately, these subdivisions 
are concentrated in ecologically 
fragile locations, in places with 
aesthetically pleasing features, or 
in places that can be promoted 
for their amenities. One of the 
worst aspects of recreational land 
developments is the environmental 
degradation it creates in water 
and air resources, fish and wildlife 
habitat, and the aesthetic quality 
of large tracts of land. In addition, 
it creates erosion and siltation and 
solid waste disposal problems.” 


40 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 




S. Wright 


Stroud (1995) also corroborated many of the 
concerns that Bennett (1996), Hays (1998), 
Howe et ah, (1997), Power (1996) and Romme 
(1997) have discussed in relation to changes in 
the ecology of the landscape due to the impact 
of rapid growth and development in retirement 
hot spot areas: 

“Recreational subdivision is 
concentrated in some of the 
nation’s most aesthetically pleasing 
landscapes. The Construction of 
a dense network of roads and 
the removal of vegetation for 
construction can destroy a marsh 
vista, intrude upon a skyline, scar 
a mountainside and totally disrupt 
the aesthetic quality of a region. 

Aesthetic disruption can range 
from the invasion of a wilderness 
by development to what Nantucket 
Islanders call loss of “charm,” as small 
villages are transformed by growth 
and development (Stroud, 1995). 

When many people are searching for Arcadia, 
discover it, and then decide to move to it, 
the Arcadian site is inevitably and irrevocably 
transformed into a “pseudo-rural landscape” 
(see Romme, 1997) with rapid growth and 
development and suburban sprawl (see also 
Bennett, 1996; Gersh, 1996). People find 
Arcadia, but over time, it can lead to “paradise 
lost” (see Davis, 1998; Schrag, 1998). Romme 
(1997) described this process, which is common 
in many regions of the southwestern U.S., in a 
geographic area in southwestern Colorado (La 
Plata County): 

“The present uncontrolled pattern 
of growth in the mountain West can 
be viewed as a modern “tragedy of 
the commons.” The “commons” 


are resources that are used by all 
members of the community but are 
owned and protected by no one. 

In this sense, the commons in La 
Plata County consist of the sense 
of open space, unobstructed views, 
biodiversity, and a rural pace of 
life—all of which attract people 
to this beautiful region. At the 
moment, because each person is 
pursuing his or her own self-interest 
without regard for the needs of the 
whole community, we are rapidly 
and probably irreversibly destroying 
the things that make this part of 
the West a unique and satisfying 
place to live. The government by 
itself cannot prevent a tragedy 
of the commons. Ultimately, a 
great deal of responsibility falls on 
individual people, land owners, land 
developers, realtors, purchasers of 
new homes and others—to make 
individual decisions about what they 
do with the land that enhance and 
sustain the whole community rather 
than degrade it. That community... 
luould be recognized as including the 
plants, animals, soils and waters as well 
as the human residents and visitors. ” 

(Italics added) 

The “tragedy of the commons” has been 
identified throughout the U.S. (Power, 1996), 
in the Rocky Mountain region (Wright, 1993), 
specifically with Colorado’s “Front Range” 

(see McCormick, 1998), Utah’s Wasatch Front 
and “Wasatch Back” (see Ringholz, 1996), and 
in many of the gateway communities that are 
located near public lands (see Howe et ah, 
1997). For example, Bennett (1996) notes in 
his research: 



Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


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FANBY-ism in an Aging Society: 

In Search of Arcadia Still Searching for Paradise 


“The serenity and beauty of these 
nonmetropolitan areas has been the 
primary factor leading retirees to 
settle here (South Atlantic coastal 
region). Yet, over the course of 
their retirement years, they have 
witnessed such an explosion of 
tourism and population growth that 
traffic usually has far outrun road 
improvements.' In addition, these 
new developments and roads have 
often.had negative environmental 
impacts. Thus, the natural beauty 
that initially attracted them to the 
area has been sacrificed.” 

What the general public may not appreciate is 
that even if the scenic beauty is preserved and 
the recreational opportunities maintained, 
the ecological health and integrity of the 
biotic communities may be in jeopardy due 
to human activities within and around vita 
environmental resources. What is missing 
from discussions at the local, community, 
regional and national level is the general 
impact of an aging population and in 
particular, the demographic trends for 
migrant retirees to specific geographic areas 
of the U.S. and the resulting effects on the 
natural environment or “natural capital” (see 
Prugh, 1995). There is a need to consider 
moving the “national conversation on aging” 
beyond the economic, utilitarian “market 
perspectives” and anthropocentric framework, 
and into other areas of dialogue that include 
ethical duties, morals and values toward 
the natural environment. The fact that 
gerontologists need to better understand 
environmental issues is ironic because it is the 
natural environment that serves as not only the 
fundamental context for human life, but is 
also the primary amenity that developers use 
to market and attract older adults. It appears 


that nature itself is a very important criteria in 
determining where many seniors will relocate. 

Perhaps one of the most powerful strategies 
to reduce environmental impact in these 
Arcadian communities is to prevent sprawl 
and the ills of urbanization from ever 
emerging (Gersh, 1996; Moe and Wilkie, 

1997; Platt, Rowntree, and Muick, 1994). In 
other words, sustainability practices should 
begin in the cities and urban areas so that the 
very quality-of-life amenities that people seek 
“somewhere else” can be found right in their 
backyard, if only there was the commitment 
and dedication to keep it that way. The 
process of FANBY is certainly a strong motive 
for many older adults to search for Arcadia, 
but in an aging society we will need to discuss 
the implications of rebuilding communities 
in the age of sprawl, and how to address the 
sustainability of existing communities, instead 
of constantly searching for new ones. Bennett 
(1996) described migrant retirees’ efforts to 
control further deterioration in the following 
way: 

“With adequate planning, much of 
the environmental damage could 
have been avoided. The high- 
income, well-educated retirees have 
increasingly become an influence 
in local government by serving 
on appointed committees. Some 
have been elected to county and 
municipal offices in order to try 
to solve traffic problems, to keep 
taxes from skyrocketing, and to 
prevent further environmental 
deterioration. They are more aware 
of the importance of the natural 
beauty of the area in attracting 
retirees and are thus more 
committed to balancing economic 


42 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 









S. Wright 


development with environmental 
preservation. Although some of 
the retired migrants would like to 
“pull up the bridge behind them,” 
most realize that both resort and 
retirement developments are likely 
to continue in these areas. But they 
insist that this must be accompanied 
by sound environmental planning.” 

Endnotes 

1 The title of this paper is inspired by the 
work of Evan Eisenberg (1998) who captured 
the historical essence of the human quest for 
the “ middle landscape "—the mean between the 
ideal city (El Dorado) and the ideal wilderness 
(Eden)—which is represented by “Arcadia”— a 
term reflecting the desire to search for and 
find a geographic landscape that captures 
the selected qualities of both nature and 
culture. In Arcadia, the bridge between 
humanity and nature is established with 
ideal pastoral settings, and in contemporary 
U.S. this is typically made manifest through 
the dwelling space of small town suburbia, 
exurbs, or “gateway communities.” These 
idyllic communities are often promoted and 
marketed as prime location sites that feature 
quality of life amenities such as recreational and 
leisure opportunities, scenic beauty, cultural . 
opportunities, less congestion from traffic, 
minimal construction activities and favorable 
climatic patterns. The pastoral landscape is 
what the Romans called a locus amoenus, an 
“agreeable place” (with the word “amenities” 
from amoenus ; see Wills, 1998). Many of these 
communities are in close proximity to federal 
and state public lands that are represented 
by parks, forests, rangelands, monuments, 
and acreage designated as “wilderness” or 
protected “green space” (see Culbertson,. 


1997; Howe et al., 1997). Sites that reflect the 
ideal of Arcadia are also typically surrounded 
by large tracts of private property that create 
“open spaces” in the traditional suburban and 
newer “exurbs.” These natural environments 
are primary attractions for both tourists 
and people wishing to relocate and become 
permanent residents in proximity to such high 
quality environmental conditions. A significant 
number of elderly relocate in their retirement 
years and migrate to community settings 
that offer amenities reflective of an Arcadian 
middle landscape. 

There is a need to more closely examine the 
evolutionary process of Arcadian sites before, 
during, and after significant development and 
growth takes place because, over time, the 
influx of more people and construction at the 
Arcadian site, due to its popularity, transforms 
it into a landscape with less amenities than 
before and places continued stress on the 
natural environment and its resources. 

9 

In this context, “commons” refers to natural 
resources (or “natural capital,” see Prugh, 
1995) to which a large number of people have 
access (see Dietz et ah, 2002) . Boyce (2001) 
uses the interchangeable term of “natural 
assets.” For further discussion in relation 
to privatization and fragmentation of the 
“commons,” see Freyfogle (2003). 

s 

Dasgupta (2001) elaborated on the notion 
of “ecosystem services,” “Producing as it does 
a multitude of ecosystem services, a large part 
of what the natural environment offers us is a 
necessity. The services include maintaining a 
genetic library, preserving and regenerating 
soil, fixing nitrogen and carbon, recycling 
nutrients, controlling floods, filtering 
pollutants, assimilating waste, pollinating 
crops, operating the hydrological cycle and 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


43 






FANBY-ism in an Aging Society: 

In Search of Arcadia Still Searching for Paradise 


maintaining the gaseous composition of the 
atmosphere. A number of services filter into a 
global context, but many are local.” 

4 

Amundson (2003) offers additional insight 
to the profile of “young-old and restless” aging 
Baby Boomers and lifestyle preferences. He 
proposes that for many Boomers there is a cult 
following of the concepts of “strenuosity” and 
“primitivism.” “With dual-incomes and smaller 
families providing discretionary spending 
money, suburban Baby Boomer couples had 
the time, money and location to take up 
the new sport (e.g., mountain-biking). In 
addition, more and more of them participated 
in an active lifestyle to gratify ideas of self- 
presentation and to overcome inadequate 
satisfaction, in work, consumption and 
personal relationships.” I also recommend 
Wrobel (2002) for a .historical review of the 
promotion, memory and creation of the 
American West. 


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1996. Personal and location-specific 
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Eisenberg, E. 1998. The Ecology of Eden. New 
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FANBY-ism in an Aging Society: 

In Search of Arcadia Still Searching for Paradise 


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Press. 


46 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 






Introduction: The Built Environment 



Patricia Bradley 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 


This section focuses on the built environment. Human use of land alters 
the structure and functioning of ecosystems, and it alters how ecosystems 
interact with the atmosphere, with aquatic systems, and with surrounding 
land. Impacts include habitat loss and fragmentation and degradation of 
water resources and water quality. Building on undeveloped land destroys and 
fragments habitat, displacing or eliminating wildlife communities. An increase 
in the amount of impervious surfaces (e.g., roads, buildings, parking lots) 
leads to the degradation of water quality by increasing runoff volume, altering 
regular stream flow and watershed hydrolog)', reducing groundwater recharge 
and increasing erosion, stream sedimentation and water acidity. Unsustainable 
development may also result in freshwater scarcity (a major issue in the 
western U.S! and an emerging issue elsewhere). Aging Americans rely heavily 
on the amenities of the modern built environment. 

Preparing for an aging society' is closely linked to Smart Growth, Sustainable 
Development and Restorative Development, as the location, configuration 
and scale of homes and communities within a watershed can change risks to 
wildlife and environmental sustainability. Communities will need to consider 
the social and environmental amenities required by the aging society and how 
changes in the demand for these amenities will introduce new and additional 
environmental stressors or influence the temporal and spatial aspects of 
existing stressors. As the aging population grows, key questions include: 

• How will the aging population impact demand for housing, health 
care, recreation and transportation? 

• What stressors are associated with this demand? 

• What infrastructure issues must communities address to prepare for 
dramatic increases in their aging populations? 

• Are there any stressors unique to the aging population? 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 47 












» 

















Impacts of Our Built Environment 
on Public Health 



Allen Dearry 

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences 
National Institutes of Health 


Allen Dearry is associate director for Research 
Coordination, Planning and Translation, NIEHS. 

We spend more than 90% of our lives indoors 
(National Research Council [NRC], 1981), 
yet we know much more about ambient 
environmental factors and health than we do 
about the “built environment” and health. 
Conceptually, the built environment includes 
all of the physical structures engineered 
and built by people—the places where we 
live, work and play. These edifices include 
our homes, workplaces, schools, parks and 
transportation systems. How we design and 
build where we live has changed dramatically 
over the past century. In the early 1900s, 
urban areas tended to be compact and 
communities were walkable, with a central 
business district and a mix of housing and 
services. Then, connections between urban 
design and health and disease were more 
clearly recognized and planners and public 
health practitioners often worked together to 
deal with problems related to poor sanitation 
and housing conditions. Increasing movement 
away from such urban locales over the last 
50 years led to lower-density developments, 
segregation of land uses and extensive 
roadway construction. Today, this trend, 
sometimes referred to as “urban sprawl,” is 
characterized by huge increases in urbanized 
land area and vehicle miles traveled (USEPA, 
2001a). These changes have both direct and 


indirect impacts on our environment and on 
public health. 

Changes in land-use and development pat¬ 
terns have contributed to habitat loss and 
declining water resources and quality (Soule, 
1991; USEPA, 1992). Increases in impervious 
surfaces and attendant surface water runoff 
contribute to deterioration in availability 
and use of safe, clean water supplies for 
both recreation and consumption. For 
example, suburban development is associated 
with a rising load of polycyclic aromatic 
hydrocarbons in nearby surface water (Van 
Metre et-al., 2000). 

Increases in vehicle travel affect our 
environment and our health in multiple 
fashions. As neighborhood density decreases, 
vehicle miles traveled (VMT) increase 
(Holtzclaw et ah, 2002). With more driving 
comes more vehicle crashes as well as 
pedestrian injuries and fatalities. Moreover, * 
further VMT contribute to overall releases 
of air pollutants (Kennedy and Bates, 1989), 
which are associated with numerous adverse 
health outcomes (Samet et ah, 2000). 
Additionally, carbon dioxide and other vehicle 
emissions contribute to accumulation of 
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (USEPA, 
2001b), which may ultimately impact public 
health by affecting the transmission and 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 49 



Impacts of our Built Environment on Public Health 


spread of infectious diseases (Epstein, 2000). 
Our built environment also affects individual 
mental health as well as population-wide 
well-being. Housing type and quality, 
neighborhood quality, noise, crowding, 
indoor air quality and light have all been 
linked to personal mental health (Evans, 
2003). Indirectly, the built environment may 
influence development and maintenance 
of socially supportive networks within a 
community. Higher levels of this type of 
“social capital” are associated with lower levels 
of morbidity and mortality (Kawachi et al., 
1999). Although the connection between the 
built environment and social capital remains 
to be well established, both walkability and 
mixed use of neighborhoods have been 
reported to be related to an enhanced sense 
of community and social capital (Glynn, 1981; 
Nasar and Julian, 1995). 

Perhaps the most recently publicized 
link between the built environment and 
public health relates to the occurrence of 
overweight and obesity in the U.S. The built 
environment influences weight management 
by affecting both food intake and energy 
expenditure. Communities characterized 
by less-dense development are associated 
with more vehicle travel and less walking 
and biking than are more densely developed 
communities (Frank and Pivo, 1995). Physical 
activity has been shown to have a salubrious 
effect on health and quality of life (Lee 
and Paffenbarger, 2000). However, only 
recently have investigators expanded such 
work to address more specifically the impact 
of community design not only on physical 
activity but also on obesity and associated 
comorbidities. One study reported that, after 
controlling for individual differences, those 
living in sprawling counties are mure likely 
to walk less in their leisure time, weigh more 


and have a greater prevalence of hypertension 
than those living in more compact places 
(Ewing et al., 2003). Similarly, a more walkable 
environment has been found to be associated 
with higher physical activity and lower obesity 
levels (Salens et al., 2003). In addition, the 
likelihood of obesity apparently declines with 
increases in mixed land-use, but rises with 

i 

increases in time spent in a car per day (Frank 
et al., 2004). To date, such work addresses 
important relationships but does not establish 
causation. In fact, Frank et al. (2004) pointed 
out that mixed land-use, while being the most 
important variable of the built environment 
related to obesity, may not exert its effect 
via physical activity. Hence, significant 
methodologic and etiologic research remains 
to be conducted to clarify such issues. 

The built environment may also play a role 
in controlling weight by shaping food access 
and availability. Recent research suggests that 
supermarkets are more likely to be located in 
wealthier and predominantly white areas and 
that fruit and vegetable intake is positively 
associated with the presence of a supermarket, 
even after controlling for personal 
socioeconomic factors (Morland et al., 2002a, 
2002b), Although the relationship between 
different types of eating places and dietary 
consumption has not been well examined, the 
availability, type and distribution of restaurants 
and the diffusion of food advertising represent 
other means by which the environment may 
affect weight homeostasis. 

Additional research will be necessary to 
enable us to understand the complicated 
pathways and intersections linking community 
design, transportation and a variety of health 
outcomes. Such information will permit 
us to develop communities that promote 
health for both people and ecosystems rather 


50 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 




A. Dearry 


than dealing with the health-damaging 
repercussions of a poorly designed built 
environment (Srinivasan et al., 2003). In 
pursuit of this goal, it will be important to 
reestablish the unity of health practitioners 
and public planners—not only to carry out 
needed research at the interface of these 
disciplines but also to ensure that the results 
of such research are properly translated 
and applied in order to lead to tangible 
improvements in our living arrangements and 
in public health. 

References 

Epstein, P. 2000. Is global warming harmful to 
health? Scientific American 283: 50-57. 

Evans, G.W. 2003. The built environment and 
mental health. Journal of Urban Health 80: 536- 
555. 

Ewing, R., T. Schmid, R. Killingsworth, A. Zlot, 

S. Raudenbush. 2003. Relationship between 
urban sprawl and physical activity, obesity, and 
morbidity. American Journal of Health Promotion 
18: 47-57. 

Frank, L. and G. Pivo. 1995. Impacts of mixed use 
and density on utilization of three modes of 
travel: single-occupant vehicle, transit, and 
walking. Transportation Research Record 1466: 44- 
52. 

Frank, L., M. Andresen, and T. Schmid. 2004. 
Obesity relationships with community design, 
physical activity and time spent in cars. 
American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 2004. 
(June 29, 2004: http://www.ajpm-online.net/ 
webfiles/images/journals/amepre/'special, pdf). 
Glynn, T. 1981. Psychological sense of community: 
measurement and application. Human 
Relations, 34: 789-818. 

Holtzclaw, J., R. Clear, H. Dittmar, D. Goldstein, 
and P. Haas. 2002. Location efficiency: 
neighborhood and socioeconomic 
characteristics determine auto ownership and 


use-studies in Chicago, Eos Angeles, and 
San Francisco. Transportation Planning and 
Technology 25:1-27. 

Kawachi, I., B. Kennedy and R. Wilkinson (Eds.). 
1999. Income Inequality and Health. New York, 
NY. The New Press. 

Kennedy, D. and R. Bates (Eds.). 1989. Air 
Pollution, the Automobile, and Public Health. 
Washington, DC: National Academy Press. 

Lee, I. and R. Paffenbarger. 2000. Associations of 
light, moderate, and vigorous intensity physical 
activity with longevity: the Harvard Alumni 
Health Study. American Journal of Epidemiology 
151:293-299. 

Morland, K., S. Wing, A. Diez-Roux, and C. 

Poole. 2002a. Neighborhood characteristics 
associated with the location of food stores 
and food service places ^ American Journal of 
Preventative Medicine 22: 23-29. 

Morland, K., S. Wing and A. Roux. 2002b. 

The contextual effect of the local food 
environment on residents’ diets: the 
Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. 
American Journal of Public Health 92: 1761-1768. 

Nasar,J. and D. Julian. 1995. The psychological 
sense of community in the neighborhood. 
Journal of the A merican Planning Association 61: 
178-184. 

National Research Council. 1981. Indoor Air 

Pollutants. Washington, DC: National Academy 
Press. 

Salens, B., J. Sallis, J. Black and D. Chen. 2003. 
Neighborhood-based differences in physical 
activity: an environment scale evaluation. 
American Journal of Public Health 93: 1552-1558. 

Samet,J., F. Dominici, F. Curriero, I. Coursac and 
S. Zeger. 2000. Fine particulate air pollution 
and mortality in 20 U.S. cities, 1987-1994. The 
Nexu England Journal of Medicine 343: 1742-1749. 

Soule, M. 1991. Land use planning wildlife 
maintenance. Guidelines for conserving 
wildlife in an urban landscape. Journal of the 
American Planning Association 57: 313-323. 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


51 





Impacts of our Built Environment on Public Health 


Srinivasan, S., L. O’Fallon and A. Dearry. 2003. 
Creating healthy communities, healthy homes, 
healthy people: initiating a research agenda 
on the built environment and public health. 
American Journal of Public Health 93: 1446-1450. 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2001a. Our 
Built and Natural Environments. USEPA 231-R- 
01-002, Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Development, Community . 
and Environmental Division. 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2001b. 
Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions 
and Sinks: 1990-1999 ; USEPA 236-R-01- 
001. Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Office of Atmospheric 
Programs. 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

1992. Environmental impacts of storm luater 
discharges-a national profile, USEPA 841-R-92- 
001. Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Office of Water. 

Van Metre P, Mahler B, Furlong E. 2000. Urban 
sprawl leaves its PAH signature. Environmental 
Science and Technology, 34: 4064-4070. 


52 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 





Baby Boomers’ Opinions and Preferences on Retirement, 
Health and Fitness, Financial Preparedness and 
Active Adult Living Communities 



David G. Schreiner 

Pulte Homes, Inc. 

(Written by Kent Thornton, FTN Associates) 


Background 

Pulte Homes is a publicly-owned company 

that specializes in developing active adult, 
lifestyle centered, communities. In 2001, Pulte 
Homes merged with Del Webb Corporation 
to become the largest home developer in 
the U.S., building about 12,000 homes a 
year. Pulte Home communities have been 
developed in 45 municipalities throughout 
the U.S., with additional communities being 
planned. The first Del Webb community, Sun 
City, AZ, was developed in the 1960’s and 
has served as a model for the development 
of active adult communities. Pulte Homes 
recently received the J.D. Power and Associates 
Platinum Award for Excellence in Customer 
Satisfaction among the largest home-builder 
corporations. 

Pulte Homes focuses on home market sector 
for adults in the 50-70 age bracket. About one 
quarter of all homes purchased each year are 
bought by individuals 50 years or older. The 
two most significant trends in the housing 
market are immigrant home buyers and home 
buyers over 50 years of age. 


Active Adult Attributes 

The terms, “elder,” “older,” “aging,” are not 
used by Pulte. Their customers consider 
themselves active adults and are interested in 
a live-work-play setting. These individuals have 
evolved socially, physically, and financially, are 
time-rich, and are interested in maintaining 
their social, physical, and financial status. As 
part of our emphasis on customer satisfaction, 
we interview about 100 couples living in our 
active adult communities each year. About 3 
hours are spent with each couple. Based on 
over 500 interviews, some of the attributes or . 
characteristics w^e have identified with active 
adults are: 

Social Attributes 

Active adults are characterized as being 
happy and optimistic. They are time-rich 
and interested in volunteering to improve 
their environment. Many of the residents 
of our communities do not have children 
living with them any longer and have 
selected their lifestyle by choice. 

Physical Attributes 

Active adults no longer have the stamina or 
physical strength of their earlier years, but 
they are interested in maintaining their 
health so they can continue to enjoy their 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 53 





Baby Boomers’ Opinions and Preferences on Retirement, 

Health and Fitness, Financial Preparedness and Active Adult Living Communities 


lifestyle. Their eye sight is not as acute, 
nor are their reflexes as quick as in their 
earlier years. These, of course, are some of 
the natural processes associated with aging. 

Financial Attributes 

>s • 

Nearly all of our active adults previously 
owned homes before moving to our 
communities. In general, their finances 
have moved from an income base to 
asset management. Homes represent a 
lifelong investment or asset. Because of the 
emphasis on asset management, there is a 
bias against any additional expenditures. 

Concerns 

The two greatest fears of these active adults 
are a debilitating disease and outliving 
their income or financial assets. These two 
fears, and their interest in sustaining their 
social, physical, and financial status are 
considered in the designing and planning 
of every Pulte active adult community. 

Satisfying the Need 

Pulte Homes is driven not only to satisfy 
customer needs, but also to provide equitable 
returns on the investment of its shareholders. 
The social, physical, and financial desires of its 
community residents, therefore, are used in 
designing and sustaining its communities. 

Pulte Home communities are designed 
around sidewalks and golf courses. Both 
sidewalks and golf course offer recreational 
and physical exercise opportunities. The 
communities are buffered from highways, 
both for safety and for noise and air 
quality. Natural amenities, particularly 
water features, are also designed into these 
communities because these features are 


desired, aesthetically pleasing and add to 
property values. However, wherever possible, 
these water features are also designed to 
address stormwater runoff, recycling and 
reuse of wastewater and similar regulatory 
issues. Wetland creation contributes to 
environmental amenities on golf courses and 
within the community. Wetlands can be used 
to reduce stormwater flooding and improve 
stormwater quality, as well as serve to attract 
marsh and wetland birds for bird watching. 

Efficient service delivery is an important 
design criteria. Managing energy, water and 
wastewater effectively and efficiently reduces 
the cost to individual homeowners, which 
is important for fixed income families. In 
general, active adult homes use less water and 
generate about one-third less wastewater than 
an average family dwelling so efficiencies can 
be obtained in treatment plant design. 

The physical attributes of active adults are 
designed into each home. For example, only 
lever fixtures, no knobs, are used on doors so 
that wrist rotation is not required. Wall outlets 
are raised so that you do not have to bend to 
plug in lights or appliances. Every change in 
elevation within a home, such as going up or 
down steps is accommodated by transitioning 
from one floor covering to another, such as 
from hardwoods to carpets, or carpet to tile, so 
the change in height of the floor is evident. 

Internet access, educational opportunities 
and classes and volunteer organizations are an 
integral part of all active adult communities. 
These individuals are time-rich and want 
to make a difference in environmental 
conservation, stewardship and restoration. 
Many communities have active programs 
in these three areas, including recycling 
electronic equipment, managing stormwater 


54 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 





D. Schreiner/K. Thornton 


and recreational lakes, and periodic litter 
pick-up days. Stream re-meandering was 
accomplished in one community, while 
wetland creation, and stream maintenance 
were projects undertaken by the Property 
Owners Association in other communities. 

Pulte Homes is interested in participating 
and learning more about the effects of aging 
populations on the environment, as well as the 
complementary research project to evaluate 
the effects of the environment on aging 
populations. It’s good for our communities; 
it’s good for business. 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


55 



































• • 










Introduction: Regional Case Studies 



Patricia Bradley 1 and Eric Walbeck 2 
^.S. Environmental Protection Agency and 
2 Perot Systems Government Services 


Case studies are used to present a holistic approach to aging and the 
environment. Case study research is a time-honored, traditional approach 
to the study of topics in social science and management. The purpose of 
the workshop case studies is to highlight successful approaches to an aging 
society (and the environment overall) and encourage meaningful dialog 
between scientists, managers, developers and other interested parties. 

One of the reviewers pointed out that “net domestic immigration is out 
of central cities for all age groups,” which is confirmed by New York’s 
experience. But, another significant finding from the New York manuscript 
states, “The frail elderly tend to move back to New York for family and 
services.” 

American Native communities continue to honor and cherish their elders 
as important contributors to society. One such elder, Stanley Paytiamo, 
described the Pueblo of Acoma’s environmental vision for the future. This 
vision is based on the well-being of all of the Acoma people and their non- 
Indian neighbors, not just the aging. 

An ancient American Indian Proverb states: 

Treat the Earth well. 

It was not given to you by your parents, 

It was loaned to you by your children. 

We do not inherit the Earth from, our Ancestors, 

We borrow it from our Children. 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 57 






























New York State’s Project 2015: 

Preparing for the Impact 
of an Aging, Diverse Population 



Neal Lane 

New York State Office for the Aging 
(Written by Jennifer Rosenbaum) 


Background 

We are all becoming aware that the de¬ 
mographic profile of the U.S. is changing 
significantly. An increasingly older and more 
diverse population will have major impacts 
on the services, products, constituency 
make-up and day-to-day work of government, 
community agencies and business—presenting 
both challenges and opportunities for public 
policy makers, planners, and business and 
community leaders. How will we prepare for 
the impact of the population changes we will 
face in the future? 

To address this question, the New York State 
Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) began Project 
2015 in late 1998, forming a partnership with 
the State Society on Aging of New York to 
write a series of articles and briefs, looking 
at the impact of the anticipated increase in 
the number of older people within “aging 
issue areas”—such as housing, long-term care, 
nutrition, health, caregiving, transportation, 
retirement, and several other issue areas. 

We focused on the impact of the aging of 
the Baby Boomer cohort; our intent was to 
raise awareness of this impact, and to start a 
discussion around New York State about these 
impacts. The outcome of this effort was the 
publication of a document, entitled: “Project 


2015: The Future of Aging in New York State: 
Articles and Briefs for Discussion” (NYSOFA, 
2000). NYSOFA used this publication as the 
basis for discussions and forums across New 
York State. 

Through these discussions, we realized that we 
needed to broaden our approach and look at 
the more complex, dynamic effect of “major 
demographic changes” on all age groups, 
on all sectors of our communities, and on 
communities overall, which led to the next 
phase of Project 2015. 

In 2002, the NYSOFA designed Project 2015 as 
a future-oriented planning initiative to enable 
multiple state agencies to consider the impact 
of our aging, increasingly diverse population. 
At the direction of Governor George E. Pataki, 
36 New York State agencies were guided 
through Project 2015, an ongoing process in 
planning and preparing for the future. 

For this new phase of the initiative, New 
York took the issue of aging and broadened 
it, to look at the impact of the overall aging 
of the population on all age groups and on 
all sectors of the community and state. We 
still wanted to look at “increasing numbers 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 59 








New York State’s Project 2015: 

Preparing for the Impact of an Aging, Diverse Population 


of older people,” which is certainly a major 
demographic change, but also to look at the 
overall aging of our population and its cross¬ 
cutting impact on all sectors and age groups 
within our communities. 

New York State also recognized that there 
would be significant impacts on communities 
from several aspects of diversity that 
are significant and increasing: foreign 
immigration, migration patterns of different 
groups into and out of the state, ethnic 
and racial diversity, non-traditional family 
structures and various population groups with 
disabilities. 

The Demographic Imperative Nationally 


A number of significant, converging trends 
illustrate the demographic challenges our 
nation will be facing in the coming years—the 
overall aging of our population, particularly 
the aging of the Baby Boomer generation 
into the elder boom, and our population’s 
increasing diversity. 



Age Structure: 

Our country’s population is 
getting older. In New York, for 
example, the State’s median 
age increased from 30.3 years in 1970 to 
32 years in 1980 and now exceeds 36 years. 
This increase is largely due to the aging of 
the Baby Boom, the leading edge of which 
(those born in 1946) has reached the early 
retirement age of 55. 


The number of older persons and their 
lifespan will increase dramatically over 
the coming 30 to 50 years. Nationally, the 
number of persons 65 and older in 2030 
will grow to 20% of the population—one 
in five Americans will be over age 65. Of 


Our changing demographic profile 
- both aging and increasing diversity - 
deserves our attention. 



The impact will be felt on all 
facets of community life - 
especially in the coming years. 


this group, the oldest old (85 and older) 
will grow to 19.4 million, representing 
enormous growth from 2000 (4.3 million). 
Older Americans also will be living longer. 
By the year 2050, older men will live to 
age 86 on average (compare to age 73 
now) and older women will live to age 92 
(compared to age 79 now). 


There will be three times the number 
of moderately or severely disabled older 
persons in 2040 compared to 1986 
(increasing from 5.1 million to 22.6 
million). 


The Graying of America: 
65+ Population, 1950-2030 


70 
60 
50 - 
40 - 
30 
20 - 
10 - 
0 


65 Years + 


85 Years + 


I I I I I I 

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 

YEAR 


Source: Health, 1999. U.S. Bureau of the Census 


60 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 






















N. Lane/J. Rosenbaum 


Baby Boomers: 

Research shows that incoming 
cohorts of older persons, the 
“Baby Boomers,” will have 
different needs and desires than older 
persons today. Boomers will be more likely 
than the preceding cohort to enter old age 
without spouses and more will be childless 
or parents of only children. The delay 
in marriage and child bearing for this 
cohort will mean a longer span between 
the generations than that experienced by 
today’s elderly. Most women Boomers will 
enter old age with, like men, a work history 
spanning all their adult lives. 

Boomers may not want to retire fully; they 
may have more expendable income, time 
and energy, and may wish to pursue other 
educational or workplace opportunities. 

Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural 
Profile: 

Our country’s population 
is becoming more racially 
and ethnically diverse. Each 
state—and each locale—is different, 
but the trends are occurring across 
the country. In New York, for example, 
the foreign-born population increased 
by more than 35% between 1990 and 
2000 due to the continued high level 
of foreign immigration. For some areas 
of the state (New York City and Nassau- 
Suffolk metropolitan areas), the foreign- 
born make up nearly 30% of the total 
population. The foreign-born population 
represents only 5% of the total population 
in the balance of New York, but has seen 
an increase between 1990 and 2000 of 
more than 13% (NYS Data Center, 2002). 


• The non-white population in 2000 
was 5.7 million persons or 30% of the 
total. This population increased by 
about 1 million or more than 20%. 

• The Black or African American 
population increased by 13% to 3.2 
million. 

• The Asian, Hawaii and Pacific 
Islander population increased from 
694,000 in 1990 to nearly 1.2 million 
in 2000. This is an increase of more 
than 70% and represents the most 
rapid increase of all major racial 
groups. 

• The Hispanic population also grew 
rapidly between 1990 and 2000. 
increasing to 2.9 million persons. 


(NYS Data Center, 2002) 


For the first time ever, the 2000 Census 
allowed for multi-racial identification. The 
New York State descriptors that follow 
use the 1990 definition of a single race 
response compared to the combined 2000 
definition of a single race response plus 
those responding with other combinations 
of races, for all ages. 

♦ 

The next generation of elderly people will 
be very different from that of the current 
older population. The younger, working age 
population is also increasingly diverse, an 
interactive effect with our aging population: 

• Older.adults, like the U.S. overall, 
will become increasingly diverse. 

Racial and ethnic elderly subgroups 
will represent 34% of the older 
population by 2050 compared to 15% 
in 1995. 




Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


61 

















New York State’s Project 2015: 

Preparing for the Impact of an Aging, Diverse Population 


• The number of older Hispanics will 
increase 328% between the year 2000 
and 2030, the number of older Asians 
and Pacific Islanders will increase 
185% and the number of older 
African Americans will increase by 
131%.’ 

Migration: 

Foreign and domestic migration patterns 
have been significant demographic forces 
affecting the size and composition of the 
population. For example, New York State 
has traditionally been a high turnover state 
benefiting from being an entry point for 
large pools of foreign in-migrants, but it 
also has lost population through heavy 
domestic out-migration to other locations 
in the nation. 

• Most of New York’s out-migrants seek 
Florida and other Southern states as 
their destination (approximately 45% of 
all out-migrants). 

• The highest rates of net out-migration 
occur among young adults (age 20 to 
35) and among the middle and older 
ages (age 40 to 75). The frail elderly 
tend to move back to New York for 
family and services. 

Project 2015 —New York State’s 
Initiative 

Given these demographic changes, New 
York recognized both the challenges and the 
opportunities that will present themselves to 
communities because of both the aging and 
increasing diversity of our population and 
that the effects of these major demographic 
changes are intertwined and cannot be 
thought of separately. These elements- 


are important if we are going to keep our 
communities as dynamic, thriving places for 
all people to live. 

For the 2002 phase of Project 2015, New York 
broadened the scope of its work to consider 
the impact of aging and diversity and also 
broadened who would be involved in doing 
the analysis and planning to include 36 New 
York State, cabinet agencies. 

Project 2015 became a Governor’s initiative 
in 2002; Governor Pataki charged NYSOFA 


New York’s Project 2015 
36 Participating State Agencies 

Advocate's Office for Persons with Disabilities 

Aging . ; 

Agriculture and Markets 

Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services 

Banking Department 

Budget 

Council on Children and Families 
Office of Children and Family Services 
Civil Service 

Consumer Protection Board 
Correctional Services 
Department of Health 
Education 

Empire State Development 
Employee Relations 

Environmental Conservation . 

General Services 

Housing and Community Renewal 

Insurance 

Labor 

Mental Health 

Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities 
Motor Vehicles 

Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation 
Public Service Commission 

Quality of Care for the Mentally Disabled Commission 
Real Property Services 
State Emergency Management Office 
State Police 

State University of New York 
Department of State 
Taxation and Finance 
Technology 

Temporary and Disability Assistance 

Transportation 

Veterans' Affairs 

V__-_ - _ ) 


62 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 













N. Lane/J. Rosenbaum 


to take the lead in managing the project and 
charged 36 cabinet-level agencies to actively 
participate. New York wanted to use the idea 
of “broad population change” as the basis 
for involving the state agencies in preparing 
for the State’s future. These changes would 
affect every facet of community life, having an 
impact across all government agencies—their 
missions, products and services, constituency- 
makeup and their day-to-day operations. 
Furthermore, this is a critical time for state 
government, as well as others, to attend to the 
impact of demographic change if we were, in 
fact, to be prepared for the future. 

Planning Process 

The 36 participating agencies were given a 
timeframe of nine months to complete the 
planning initiative. The Governor’s office 
started the process with a kick-off meeting 
with the 36 participating state agency 
Commissioners in February of 2002. 
NYSOFA coordinated monthly meetings 
of the 36 agencies’ Project 2015 staff, 
providing them with instructions, review, 
and technical assistance. Throughout the 
nine months,, each agency completed the 
primary activity of this initiative: a written 
Brief. NYSOFA compiled the 36 briefs into 
a published policy document, and the 
document, representing the work of the 36 
agencies, was presented to the Governor at 
a Symposium in October 2002. 

Agency Briefs 

To construct their briefs, each agency was 
required to: 

1. Assess the impact of demographic 
change on their mission, products, 
services, constituent group and daily 
operations, and to identify the major 
issues that would arise for them 
because of these demographic changes. 


2. Prioritize the major impact areas each 
agency identified, keeping the top 
three major impact areas for action 
planning.. 

3. Specif)' action steps or strategies they 
would implement over the next five 
years to address their top three impact 
areas. 

White Paper and Results 

The briefs were organized into a unified 
policy document (White Paper) titled, 

“ Project 2015: State Agencies Prepa re for 
the Impact of an Aging New York—White 
Paper for Discussion" (NYSOFA, 2002). In 
addition to the briefs, it includes articles 
about the most significant demographic 
and sociological changes expected in 
the State and an analysis and summary 
of the briefs. This publication has been 
distributed to the governors in all states, as 
well as to many agencies and organizations 
across the country. 

In the analysis of the briefs, it was found 
that each agency’s brief can stand alone as a 
basis for action, reflecting each agency’s own 
mission and function. Together, the 36 Briefs 
present one unified policy document and a 
practical framework for New York to prepare 
for the future. 

It also was recognized that the approach taken 
in New York State’s Project 2015 provides the 
ability to really do business differently. Usually, 
if we are interested in delving into a topic or 
an issue of importance to inform our work, we 
turn to those traditionally considered “expert” 
in the field of study. We often use that 
expertise to create the framework for next 
steps and the work to come thereafter. For 
example, for issues about an aging population, 
we may turn to offices for the aging, 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


63 










New York State’s Project 2015: 

Preparing for the Impact of an Aging, Diverse Population 


academicians and researchers specializing 
in gerontology and geriatrics, and the 
gerontological literature—and to use those 
individuals and the prior research to help 
us form the basis for framing the issues and 
impact areas that will be considered as we take 
the next steps. This approach is important and 
valuable, but—when considering the impact 
of changing population characteristics, for 
example—our experience led us to recognize 
that this approach, alone, does not go far 
enough. 

By asking the question differently—How 
does our changing population affect all of 
us and what we all do? This (1) broadens the 
way we may address an issue because rion- 
traditional others also would define the issue 
and impact areas from their own perspectives; 
(2) broadens how we define the issue, 
expands how we address the issue and who 
is involved in addressing it, and (3) changes 
the way others may address an issue because 
the impact of aging and diversity becomes 
incorporated into their work. 

Department of Environmental 
Conservation (DEC)—Example of Action 
Steps 

As one of the 36 participating agencies 
in Project 2015, New York’s Department 
of Environmental Conservation (DEC) 
identified the following from their internal 
scan to assess how changing demographics 
may affect their policies, programs and 
practices: 

“DEC’s basic policies will 
remain unchanged: protecting 
environmental quality; acting as 
stewards of land; infrastructure 
and natural resources; developing 
information systems; and building 


partnerships to support the 
environment. It is likely that 
demographic changes will lead 
to new approaches in building 
partnerships." (Emphasis added). 

DEC has moved forward since the 
development of their brief, taking action 
steps that include building partnerships 
and taking new approaches (see following 
examples). 

DEC Action Steps - Examples 

Collaboration 

• Building Public-Private 
Partnerships 

• International Paper (IP) John 
Dillon Park: A Unique Outdoor 
Experience for People with 
Disabilities 


On April 5, 2004, Governor George 
Pataki announced the protection of 
nearly 16,000 acres of forest lands owned 
by International Paper (IP) in the 
Adirondack Park. Under the working 
forest conservation easement, the property 
will remain in IP ownership. The easement 
will limit new industrial, commercial or 
residential development of the parcel and 
require sustainable forestry activities to 
protect water quality and other natural 
resources. The conservation easement 
establishes IP John Dillon Park, in honor 
of IP’s recently retired Chairman and CEO, 
John Dillon: 

IP John Dillon Park will provide a unique 
outdoor experience for people with 
disabilities. The main camp will provide 
lean-tos, sanitary facilities, parking, a canoe 
and kayak dock and fishing facilities all 


64 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 








N. Lane/J. Rosenbaum 



accessible to people with disabilities. NYS 
DEC staff and its Accessibility Advisory 
Committee are assisting IP with the 
design of the Park. In addition, Paul 
Smith’s College will be involved in the 
management of day-to-day operation of 
the Park that will give students a unique, 
hands-on learning experience in managing 
outdoor recreation for people with 
disabilities. 

Governor’s April 5, 2004, Press Release: 

Governor Announces Protection of 
Nearly 16,000 Acres in Adirondacks. 

This initiative incorporates design 
features for universal access and creates 
options for recreational activity and 
enjoyment (and improved health) for 
people with disabilities, elders, and 
ultimately, for all citizens. 

DEC: New 

Approaches—Elders as 
Volunteers 

The DEC also 

} has identified 
an array of 
opportunities 
for older New 
Yorkers to 
contribute 


to the health and maintenance of our 
natural resources. According to DEC, 
volunteer opportunities give senior citizens 
occasion to participate in recreational 
activities that promote physical activity 
and a healthy lifestyle, along with a variety 
of social events. Examples of volunteer 
opportunities through DEC include: 

• Nature instructors at the Department’s 
Environmental Education Centers. 

• Greeters at Environmental Education 
Centers. 

• Adopt A Natural Resource— 
organizations and individuals can 
volunteer to help conserve a local 
natural resource. 

By volunteering, seniors can create a legacy 
by giving back to their community while at 
the same time their community can return 
their “gift of service” with appreciation of 
their efforts. 

Guide to New York’s Initiative 

Sharing New York’s Experience 

New York is interested in sharing what we 
did with others. Throughout the nine- 
month state government action planning 
initiative, the process of designing and 
implementing Project 2015, and the 
perceptions of the agencies' leaders and 
staff who participated in the project, 
were documented in a joint effort by the 
NYSOFA and the University at Albany’s 
Center for Excellence in Aging Services. 
Throughout the initiative, several 
methods were used by the Center to 
collect information for the Guide: (1) 
in-depth interviews and focus groups of 
selected agency leaders and key staff who 
participated in Project 2015; (2) in-depth 



Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


65 





























New York State’s Project 2015: 

Preparing for the Impact of an Aging, Diverse Population 


interviews of NYSOFA’s agency leaders and 
members of the Project 2015 Management 
Team; (3) a personal interview with the 
Governor’s oversight staff to Project 2015; 
(4) observation at several of the regularly 
scheduled Project 2015 interagency work 
group meetings; and (5) observation at 
the day-long Governor’s Project 2015 
Symposium. 

This information was used to develop 
“Project 2015: Guide to New York State 
Government’s Planning Initiative” 
(NYSOFA, 2003). The Guide describes the 
entire Project 2015 initiative and identifies 
the core elements of success in this 
initiative. It provides information about • 
the overall design, management, and 
implementation of Project 2015, and can 
be used by government and community 
leaders who are seeking to engage in a 
multi-agency or community-wide planning 
process to develop action steps around a 
common issue. 

Project 2015 Guide: Core Elements of 
Success 

Analysis by the NYSOFA’s Project 2015 lead 
staff determined that certain factors assured 
the success of Project 2015. Without these 
core elements, the initiative would not have 
been as successful and could not have been 
completed within the allotted time frame. 

The entire listing of 19 core elements are 
included in the Guide; byway of example, 
below are several of the components that can 
be characterized as core elements of success 
of the Project 2015 planning initiative—but all 
19 were considered necessary for the initiative 
to proceed successfully: 


Executive Leadership 

There was ongoing, direct leadership and 
involvement of the top executive. For 
New York State’s Project 2015, this was the 
Governor. 

Clear Purpose and Goals 

The purpose and goals of Project 2015 
were very clearly stated in the initial charge 
to the Commissioners. The purpose and 
goals were fully defined and described 
for agencies’ designees to the project and 
project work staff at the first interagency 
work group meeting. 

Common Issue 

While the participating agencies have 
disparate missions, products, and 
consumer constituencies, the issue 
addressed by Project 2015 (the impact of 
demographic change) was common across 
all agencies and formed a common basis 
for deliberation. 

Make it Manageable 

To complete the work of Project 2015 
within the stated time frame and keep 
the agencies on track, both the project’s 
products and time line were divided into 
manageable pieces. Specific directions and 
an assigned.due date accompanied each 
piece. This kept participants from feeling 
overwhelmed by the total responsibilities 
involved and eliminated time slippage. 

Technical Assistance Provided 

Directions and technical assistance were 
provided at monthly group meetings. 
However, four members of the NYSOFA 
Project 2015 Management Team were 
each paired with nine specific agencies 
to respond quickly to agencies on an 


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Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 1 Research Triangle Park, NC 






N. Lane/J. Rosenbaum 




individual basis regarding any issues and 
problems that emerged as the agencies 
moved through the initiative’s process. 
These pairings remained constant 
throughout the nine-month period. 


Think Outside the Box 





When assembling agencies into small 
groups for joint activities, agencies were 
not grouped by traditional themes/ 
missions (such as health, human services, 
infrastructure, economic development, 
etc.). Instead, agencies were randomly 
assigned for small-group activities and 
multiple work staff from any one agency 
were dispersed among tables for large- 
group discussions. This resulted in (1) 
cross-sharing of information among 
agencies that had not generally done so 
before, (2) understanding the overlap 
that exists among all agencies, and (3) 
stimulation of non-traditional collaborative 
efforts. 


Summary 


New York’s communities are not alone in 
experiencing profound shifts in the make-up 
of their resident populations. The populations 
of communities, states and countries across 
the world are aging, and all are experiencing 
a change in the proportion of younger-aged 
citizens relative to the proportion of older 
citizens. Immigration patterns in the U.S., 
including the in-migration of people from 
foreign countries and movement of these 
populations between states, have dramatically 
increased both the diversity of many states’ 
populations and the number of residents who 
speak little or no English. These shifts in our 
demographic profile present opportunities 
(skills, talents, a pool of new workers, etc.) 


and challenges (fewer caregivers, educational 
needs, communication gaps, etc.). 

An analysis of the Project 2015 initiative found 
that multi-group planning, in concert, around 
a unifying common issue, and in a cohesive, 
organized manner: (1) established a common 
bond among the participating groups, (2) 
had groups working toward a common goal, 

(3) encouraged sharing and collaborating 
among groups that had not occurred before, 

(4) produced ideas and strategies that would 
make the most out of the opportunities 
presented by the changing demographics, and 

(5) promoted creativity in identifying effective 
ways of meeting the challenges inherent in 
changing demographics. 

New York’s planning initiative can be 
replicated or adapted by other governments 
or communities that wish to accomplish these 
same goals.. . - 

Manuscript by: 

Jennifer Rosenbaum, New York State 
Office for the Aging, Project 2015 
Coordinator 

Presented by: 

Neal Lane, Acting Director, New York 
State Office for the Aging (August 10, 
2004 EPA Aging Americans Workshop) 

Photographs: 

New York State Office for the Aging 
and Erie County (NY) Department of 
Senior Services. 

New York State Department of 
Environmental Conservation: Adopt a 
Natural Resource, International Paper/ 
Universal Access. 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


67 




New York State’s Project 2015: 

Preparing for the Impact of an Aging, Diverse Population 


References 

New York State Data Center, Empire 
State Development, 2002. http:// 
www. nylovesbiz. com/nysdc/default, asp 
New York State Office for the Aging. 2000. 
Project 2015: The Future of Aging in 
New York State—Articles and Briefs for 
Discussion, http://www.aging.state.ny. us/ 
news / letter/anO10409. htm 
New York State Office for the Aging. 2002. 

Project 2015: State Agencies Prepare for the 
Impact of an Aging New York—White Paper 
for Discussion, http://www.aging.state.ny.us/ 
explore/project2015/report02/index, htm 
New York State Office for the Aging. 2003. 
Project 2015: Guide to New York State 
.Government’s Planning Initiative, http:// 
www. aging, state, ny. us 


68 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 





Jonathan Hook 

Office of Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 6 


American Indian elders are held in high 
esteem in their communities. They are 
perceived to be links with the wisdom and 
cultural inheritance of many generations of 
ancestors. Because Native peoples have a 
sacred and reverential relationship with the 
environment, indigenous elders provide a 
unique resource for better understanding the 
world around us. This includes not only the 
nurturing gifts provided by the environment, 
but also our responsibilities as caretakers. 

As Native peoples increasingly interact with 
EPA through various tribal environmental 
programs, the agency receives glimpses into 
the uniquely symbiotic relationship between 
American Indians and Mother Earth. The 
broad, holistic approach to environmental 
protection is apparent in strategies and 
activities that intertwine traditional Native 
practices with contemporary technologies. For 
example, Louie Hena is on the Tribal Council 
of the Pueblo of Tesuque. He has developed, 
a 500 year environmental plan, which forms 
the basis for his “permaculture” course. EPA 
has provided some funding for this hands-on 
educational activity that brings Native youth 
from throughout North America together 
to study high elevation agriculture and soil 
retention in the New Mexico mountains. 



Permaculture Course at Picuris Pueblo 

Mr. Hena also recently was asked, along with 
four other elders, to address EPA’s Indian 
Program Policy Council in Washington, D.C. 
about the necessity of protecting traditional 
lifeways. He focused on how everything is 
cyclical, and about how we must recognize and 
protect the patterns in our environment. 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 69 












Elders’ Importance 


Louie Hena’s IPPC 
Presentation 

Indian environmental 
programs struggle to 
function on barebones 
financial resources, yet 
are able to accomplish 
amazing results. 

The comment most 
frequently heard from recent headquarters 
visitors to Region 6 Indian communities was 
“we never knew the extent of the need, nor 
can we believe how much is being done with 
so few resources/’ The greatest resource, 
however, is one often forgotten by dominant 
society bureaucracies: our elders. Native 
communities continue to honor and cherish 
these communal gems, and EPA would do well 
to follow their example. 



Stanley Paytiamo will address the Pueblo of 
Acoma’s environmental vision in the next 
presentation. He is a persistent advocate for 
increased funding of tribal environmental 
programs. He recently spoke at New Mexico 
Environmental Departm en f s Environmental 
Justice Listening Session at Acoma Pueblo. 
Embodying the direct link between ancestors 
and future generations, Stanley Paytiamo is a 
model for all those pursuing environmental 
protection. 


Another elder 
having a profound 
impact on 
Indian Country 
environmental 
protection is 
Stanley Paytiamo. 
Mr. Paytiamo is a 
former governor 
of Acoma Pueblo. 
He is chairman of the Tribal Water Rights 
Commission and the Tribal HAZMAT Safetv 
Committee. For his many years of service, 

Mr. Paytiamo was recently awarded the Janice 
Stevens Environmental Protection Award by 
the 66 tribes in EPA Region 6. 



Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 


70 
















Stanley Paytiamo 

Pueblo of Acoma 


By 2030, the number of older Americans is 
expected to double to 70 million, largely as a 
result of the aging of the World War II Baby 
Boomers. As the aging population grows, 
there are questions on how this population 
will change needs for housing, health care, 
recreation and transportation and how 
communities and states can prepare for these 
shifts. 

The mission of the Pueblo of Acoma Environ¬ 
mental Protection Office is to safeguard 
human health and quality of life by protecting 
and enhancing the environment. 

“For me it's the challenge—the 
challenge tn try to beat myself and 
do better than I did in the past. I 
try to keep in mind not what I have 
accomplished but what l have to try to 
accomplish in the future." 

:—Jackie Joyner-Kersee 

Environmental Setting 

The Pueblo of Acoma is located approximately 
55 miles west of Albuquerque, NM; along 
Interstate 40. The closest city is Grants, NM 
that lies on the western edge of the Pueblo 
reservation boundary. The Pueblo of Acoma is 
relatively large in comparison to the other 20 
pueblos of New Mexico, with a population of 


4,754. Approximately 2,000 persons live on the 
land grant with a land base of approximately 
431,664 acres (674 sq. miles). The original 
Spanish land grant given to the Pueblo of 
Acoma was made on September 20, 1689. 

The Pueblo of Acoma is made up of eight 
small villages that include Acomita, West 
Village, Mesa Hill, Skyline, McCartys, Anzac, 
Alaska, Shutivaville, and the 1,000 year old 
Acoma village, “Sky City.” Farming occurs 
mainly on lands adjacent to the Rio San 
Jose. There are approximately 1,014 acres of 
irrigated farmland. The remainder, and by far 
the greater portion, of the Pueblo lands are 
semiarid, at high altitude and on a continental 
shelf that passes to the west of the Pueblo of 
Acoma. These lands consist of mountains, 
valleys, expansive plains and high buttes or 
mesas. The lands vary substantially in elevation 
and gradient, ranging from high elevations of 
8,600 feet to low elevations of 5,800 feet above 
sea level. Similarly, the sloping land varies with 
abrupt grades that are nearly vertical and large 
level expanses of land, with grades as low as 
2-3%. ' 

The Acoma people have practiced ceremonies 
for the good of all since time immemorial. 
These practices and beliefs are taught and 
pursued only through oratories, prayer, 
songs and dance. They call for an orderly 
life within the natural environment such 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 71 








The Pueblo of Acoma’s Environmental Vision 


as clean water and air, good crops and 
peace of body and spirit. Many believe in a 
spiritual life and the natural environment 
that embraces and nurtures them. Today, 
many tribal societies exist within the Pueblo 
of Acoma. These societies and their religious 
ceremonies coincide with important celestial 
time calendars. The religious ceremonies 
acknowledge and express gratitude for 
nature’s gifts of land, water and life. 

Climate 

Precipitation at the San Fidel National 
Weather Service station averaged 9.66 inches 
(245.3 mm) per year over 44 years, (New 
Mexico State Engineer Office, 1956b; U.S. 
Department Commerce [US DOC], 1955-74). 
Precipitation measured during this study was 
fairly uniformly distributed. About half of the 
yearly precipitation results from convective 
storms during July, August, September and 
October. Mean-annual temperature at the San 
Fidel weather station was 51.4°F (10.76°C) 
for 38 years of record (New Mexico State 
Engineer Office, 1956a; US DOC, 1955-74, 
various pages). Summer highs occasionally 
go over 100°F (37.74°C) and winter lows 
occasionally drop below 0°F (-17.76° C), at 
this station. Pan evaporation on the Pueblo 
of Acoma probably averages about the same 
as that measured at the National Weather 
Service Station in Los Lunas, which is about 
50 miles (80 km) to the east. Here evaporation 
is usually between 70 to 75 inches (177.8 and 
190.5. cm) per year. 

Traditional History 

Traditional knowledge is no longer reinforced 
on a daily basis. The language has been a 
vital aspect of the Acoma Pueblo since time 


immemorial; all members of the Native 
Communities must realize its importance to 
the community and support intensification 
of the Bilingual Program. Formerly, as a rural 
community, the Pueblo of Acoma economy 
emphasized the need for Pueblo members 
to practice traditional ways of cooking, 
butchering, hunting, planting, harvesting and 
sharing. In the past, there was mutual respect 
for one another and our elders, as well as self- 
respect. Today, there is a lack of respect for 
our leaders, our parents—courteous greetings 
and exchanges are less frequent, therefore 
traditional means for transmitting stories, 
songs and original legends are rapidly fading. 

The native way of life is a spiritual way; staying 
close to spirit through prayers, sacred songs 
and sacred ceremonies. Spirit is through all 
of life given by the creator. It is important to 
tell the truth. Peoples’ lives could depend 
on it. Children are taught to be honest. We 
have concern for one another—caring what 
happens and helping children grow up in a 
good way. Why keep on having children when 
you can’t care for them? Some of our people 
don’t want to send their parents to Old Age 
homes. We have extended families and they 
take care of their parents. “When I was a child 
they took care of me so I want to take care 
of my parents.” In the end, some do end up 
at homes for the aging. The children and 
families usually complain the nursing staff is 
limited. When the children make visits the 
parents want to go home with them. 

We are grateful for the continued support of 
our promising youth to attain their degrees 
in higher education for the benefit of their 
Tribal communities, now and in the future. 


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Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 1 Research Triangle Park, NC 




S. Paytiamo 


Traditional Concerns 

Sadly, traditions and customs are breaking 
down. The tribe does not allow members to 
speak on certain subjects to allow non-Indians 
to better understand the culture. In fact, 
non-Indians will never understand, because 
this takes a lifetime to learn. Tribes do things 
and treat the following differently: Christmas 
trees, funeral items, shoes, clothing, ashes, 
sale of bottled water, credits for air, air-space, 
emergency preparedness, disaster drills, the 
future, “ownership” of space and visitation of 
Indian shrines (non-Indians and women are 
not allowed). Indian people have respect for 
all things and believe there are widespread 
consequences otherwise. There are strict rules 
to follow—things should be left alone. The 
Pueblo of Acoma has existed for over 1000. 
years—maybe due to obeying and respecting 
the laws of Mother Earth. 


“As an Indian person, my view of the 
world is that Mother • Earth is Sacred. 

It’s difficult for me to use the term 
“environment, ” the term. “ecology . ” 

To me, it’s Mother Earth and she is 
Sacred, if she is not healthy, if the 
beings, sustaining from her, the people, 
the animals, the wildlife, the water, the 
air, everything that belongs to Mother 
Earth if that is not protected, if that is 
not taken care of in the proper ivay with 
respect; well, what are we here for then ? 
Mother Earth is Sacred. ” 

— Unknown young woman 


An understanding of the people is basic to 
community development. The Acoma people, 
of all the people of this country, have been 


able to strongly maintain their cultural, 
ethnic and historic characteristics in the face 
of Anglo-American domination. It is these 
very characteristics that are now often ad¬ 
vocated to the public-at-large as a means of 
ending the destruction of our environment 
through appropriate respect for our natural 
surroundings.'The Pueblo of Acoma, rather 
than destroying the environment, have lived 
in harmony with nature and have preserved 
the quality of the environment. The Acoma 
people have maintained their traditions and 
culture and Anglo-American society has much 
to learn from us. Until recently, the American 
government never condescended to consider 
the environment as a major focal point of 
their policy. Instead, the policy has been one 
of dominating the environment rather than of 
compatibility with it. Today, let us hope that, 
in spite of the Anglo-American values imposed 
upon us, we will maintain this strong tradi¬ 
tion and appreciation of nature and that this 
strong culture of the Indian can, in turn, be 
absorbed by non-Indian people so that their 
appreciation and respect for nature will grow. 

Let us understand that inter-relationships 
between the Indian and western Anglo- 
American culture have been relatively short 
(300-400 years), while Acoma people have 
lived in this environment for more .than 
1000 years. These cultures which have come 
together are not only different in language 
and racial characteristics, they are diverse 
to the extent that they are on a different 
continued existence...the western culture 
based on profit and domination of the 
environment...the Indian culture related to 
the natural environment which, due to the 
harsh landscape, requires deep respect and . 
knowledge of the natural environment to 
survive. 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


73 




The Pueblo of Acoma’s Environmental Vision 


The Pueblo of Acoma (Aak’Um’Eetra) 
heritage is important, not only to the 
continued strength and pride of the Acoma 
people, but to the entire country and the 
western world. 

Our Overall Goal 

The overall goal of the Acoma culture is to 
encourage and maintain the continuance 
of the Acoma cultural, ethnic and historic 
characteristics, not only as a point of historic 
interest but as a living, viable attitude which 
has application to every-day life and to the 
well-being of the Acoma people and their non- 
Indian neighbors. 

The Pueblo of Acoina has developed a 26-vear 
Practical Vision that includes: 

• A safer Acoma, 

• Health promotion and maintenance, 

• Togetherness through education, 

• Preservation of culture through 
education, 

• Political awareness, 

• Economic self-sufficiency through 
tourism, 

• Promotion of traditional land-use, 

• Return to restorative agriculture, 

• Preservation of traditional lifestyles, 

• Community and civic involvement, 

• Greater employment opportunities 
through education. 

All of these issues pertain to all of the people 
in the Pueblo, but some pertain more 
specifically to the aging population, which 
will be discussed later. Additionally, there are 
underlying contradictions that may be barriers 
to obtaining this vision. They include: 


• Varied interpretations of private versus 
community land-use, * 

• Alienation from the political system, 

• Unwillingness to take risk in economic 
ventures, 

• Limited personal and community 
involvement in education, 

• Conflict in values regarding tradition, 

• Unwillingness to invest in community 
participation and communications. 

Goals Pertaining to the Acoma Vision 

Mental and Physical Health 

The Acoma health goal is to provide for 
healthy conditions and the good of all 
Acoma people through the maintenance 
of a pollution-free environment and the 
provision of a comprehensive health-care 
system available to all Acoma residents. 
This includes informational, curative and 
rehabilitative mental and physical health 
services, available to all Acoma residents. 
Facilities and services should be located 
on the reservation or nearby wherever 
possible. 

Human Services (Welfare) 

Many Acoma people depend substantially 
on welfare. A welfare system must be 
convenient, it must be adequate to meet 
the needs, it must encourage rather than 
destroy initiative, and individuality' must be 
achieved and maintained. 

Public Safety, Law 
Enforcement and Correction 

All citizens are entitled to equal and 
reasonable protection under the law. This 
goal should include the protection of 
the rights, property and privileges of all 
citizens through efficient and expeditious 


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Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 





S. Paytiamo 


administration ofjustice through the 
police and the judiciary system. 

Housing 

All Acoma people must be allowed to live 
in an environment that meets all federal 
regulatory housing standards. The right 
to a comfortable and stable housing 
structure can be achieved by upgrading all 
substandard housing. 

Parks, Recreation and Open Space 

Provision of an interrelated system of 
parks, recreational facilities, open-space 
and programs for the Acoma people is 
a primary consideration. Secondarily, 
it should compliment the tourist and 
commercial recreation activities of the 
Pueblo of Acoma. 

Land-Use, Transportation and Utilities 

Development of an overall land-use plan to 
insure compatibility among various usages 
is another necessity. The land-use plan 
shall include the natural attributes of land, 
such as soils, topography, availability of 
moisture and fertility and shall reflect our 
concern for our natural resources as part 
of the Economic and Cultural Resources 
of the Acoma people. The rights of the 
people to live as individuals with minimal 
adverse effect upon the environment shall 
be a major concern of land-use planning. 

Cultural, Ethnic and Historic 

Continuance of the Acoma culture must 
be encouraged and maintained, not only 
as a point of historic interest but a living, 
viable attitude that has application to 
everyday life, and to the well-being of the 
Acoma people, as well as their non-Indian 
neighbors. 


Environment, Ecology, 

Pollution and Population 

The natural resources of Acoma lands 
must be preserved and enhanced through 
recognition of the delicate ecological 
balance that exists between a person and 
his or her environment. Those portions of 
Pueblo lands that may be threatened by 
development must be preserved. 

Vision for Our Aging Americans 

Twenty, thirty, fifty and even 150 years from 
now, as an Aging American, leader, parent, 
grandparent, and citizen of your Tribe, what 
kind of society do you want? What to do next? 
What are you as an Aging American going to 
do the next working day towards fulfilling your 
vision? • 

DECIDE 

COMMUNICATE IT (make it known) 

ACT ON IT 

• Persuade People 

• Excite People 

• Develop Commitment 

• Consistently Act On It 

• Evaluate It 

• Do it! 

To support the Pueblo of Acoma 26-Year 
Practical Vision and the aging population 
of Acoma, a comprehensive health plan was 
proposed to be developed by 2030. That plan , 
would include:. 

Environmental Health Services 

Improve the quality of life through 
reduced risk factors in the environment 
that lead to death, disability or illness. 



Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 






The Pueblo of Acoma’s Environmental Vision 


Community and School Health Education 

Prepare tribal members with 
knowledgeable skills and attitudes for 
decision-making regarding the protection 
of their health. 

Accidents 

Lessen morbidity and morality due to 
accidents, expand a total tribal safety 
program due to accidents. 

Alcoholism 

Reduce factors that lead to substance 
abuse, especially alcoholism. 

Nutrition 

• Improve the nutrition status of tribal 
members. 

• Special supplemental food programs 
to: 

- Reduce the incidents of dental caries 
by poor eating habits. 

- Provide nutritious meals each day to 
the 319 Acoma elderly at the center 
meal site. 

• Establish educational programs that 
will reduce the incidence of obesity. 

• Encourage the use of natural and 
cultural foods. 

Contract and Health Services 

Maintain the present quality of medical 
care service, increasing the variety where 
possible. 

Elderly Care/Youth Programs 

Enhance the status of the elderly and 
youth as valuable members of the tribe. 

• Increase safety practices, reduce 
hazards. 

• Develop adequate housing facilities 
(50 units). 


• Provide needed medical services. 

• Provide transportation as needed: two 
mini-buses for the handicapped and 
staff. 

• Develop a multi-purpose center that 
will provide nutritional, leisure and 
social activities for the senior citizens 
and youth. 

• Seek employee opportunities for the 
elderly. 

• Develop an elderly day-care home. 

• Develop a local and regional elderly 
nursing home to be located north of 
ACL Hospital. 

Pueblo of Acoma Environmental 
Protection Agency (AEPA): 

On October 1, 1994, the Pueblo of Acoma 
Environmental Protection Agency (AEPA) was 
created within the Tribal Council and Admin¬ 
istration to coordinate waste management and 
environmental activities. AEPA’s responsibil¬ 
ity has now been expanded to deal with all 
environmental concerns (hazardous waste, 
air and water quality, pollution prevention, 
etc.) and is in the process of seeking funding 
to administer these programs through the 
General Assistance Program (GAP) grant, and 
any other identified sources of funding. AEPA 
is structured to provide technical assistance on 
environmental issues for the Tribe. The tradi¬ 
tional Pueblo perspective of the environment 
emphasizes the vital importance of living as 
one with all the elements of the earth. It is the 
mission of the AEPA to incorporate the values 
of the Pueblo way of life as the environmental 
concerns of the tribe. 


76 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 




S. Paytiamo 


One major concern for the Pueblo of Acoma 
is the lack of codes or ordinances to address 
environmental violations or prevent pollution. 
The Governor of Acoma created a committee 
called the Acoma Legislative Committee that is 
currently reviewing the Law and Order Codes. 
All recommendations will then be made to 
the Acoma Tribal Council which will make the 
final decisions on what laws to amend or add. 

The People of Acoma believe in the 
importance of preserving the environment 
so that it will continue to provide natural 
resources such as clean water and land that 
is necessary for their survival. But, like many 
other Indian tribes, the Pueblo people do not 
have a formal infrastructure to regulate the 
environment (Mother Earth). It is important 
that the community is educated and aware of 
what “regulation of the environment’' means 
while still encouraging preservation through 
spirituality and religion. 

With the population expansion of the Pueblo 
of Acoma, there is an increased potential 
of danger of contamination of the ground 
water and surface water because the existing 
sewage facilities are inadequate to meet the 
growing needs of the Pueblo. Currently there 
are no certified Operations and Maintenance 
Operators to manage the six wastewater 
treatment sites on Pueblo lands. Four of the 
lagoons are located close to the Rio San Jose 
Basin, and the main facultative lagoon is 
overburdened. It has been found that some 
homes on Acoma lands are equipped with 
septic tanks that are considered substandard. 
Leach fields associated with septic tank systems 
are a source of pollution in the Rio San Jose 
Valley. 

Hazardous waste is another concern for the 
Pueblo of Acoma. With the assistance of EPA, 


the Acoma Tribal Administration, Pueblo 
Office of Environmental Protection (POEP)/ 
Superfund has been able to identify several 
sites that qualify for the Comprehensive . 
Environmental Response, Compensation and 
Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, also known 
as Superfund, investigation. These potentially 
hazardous sites may pose a threat to human 
health and the environment. 

Current solid waste management practices also 
pose potential risks to human health and the 
environment. The 19 Pueblos of New Mexico 
were ordered to close all dumps and landfills 
in compliance with Resource Conservation 
and Recovery Act (RCRA) requirements, 
and to construct a landfill or transfer station 
that abides by RCRA standards, by October 
9, 1998. The Pueblo of Acoma worked with 
the U.S. Indian Health Service (IHS) to 
construct a transfer station and to implement 
a sound solid waste management system to 
benefit the Pueblo people project. It was 
completed in 1997 and opened on October 
9, 1998. It took the Pueblo one year to open 
the transfer station due to lack of funding. 
Omsite workshops were held to inform the 
Pueblo’s people of the closing of the landfills 
and opening of the transfer station. Since 
then, new vehicles have been purchased and 
solid waste is picked up on a regular basis. The 
Pueblo is still closing old illegal sites, but the 
U.S. Congress has never funded the closings. 

Impacts on the Environment 

It is impossible, of course, to know what all the 
impacts of any given decision will be. There 
is no easy answer. Every tribe will have to 
develop a system for analyzing decisions that 
works for it. A basic check list might include 
the following elements: 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


77 




The Pueblo of Acoma’s Environmental Vision 


(1) What is the need? 

(2) How will proposed actions meet the 

need? : 

(3) Are there alternative ways of meeting the 
need: what are they? 

(4) How does the proposed action relate to 
the overall goals of the tribe? 

(5) What will it cost? Include all related costs 
in the planning. If the tribe decides it 
needs an elderly home or museum (a 
popular and legitimate need), the cost of 
the building itself is only the beginning. 
For example, if the Pueblo of Acoma can 
estimate the cost for the building, from 
the first architectural drawings until its 
completion on the site, what other things 
should be considered? 

a. If grants or contributions are used to 
support the elderly home or museum, 
will a fundraiser also be necessary? 

If tribal funds are used, the merits of 
the elderly home or museum must be 
weighed against other tribal needs. 

b. Related Costs. Will outsiders be 
attracted to the reservation because 
of the new facility? Will additional 
parking be needed? What effect 
will this have on roads, traffic, 

and the habits of the people in 
the community? Who will provide 
policing? Will the children of the 
community still be safe? Will there be 
additional costs associated with trash 
' removal? 

This action would change the 
complexion of the reservation. The 
Acoma people are not accustomed 
to having outsiders in the center. 
Many religious activities are closed 
to outsiders. If there is federal 


funding, everyone would have access 
to an elderly home. Is an elderly 
center really needed? These are hard 
choices. 

(6) What is the economic impact of the 
proposed action? Will it provide new jobs 
for the community? Or will outsiders be 
hired? Will the new jobs require skills 

or demand salaries out of line with the 
current economic structure? With the 
increasing number of tribal programs a 
tribe is now employing many more people 
that are probably better paid than the 
majority of the community. The tribal 
employees receive all the benefits that the 
rest of the community receives. 

(7) What is the environmental impact on the 
community? What will it do to the air 
and water quality? What about the water 
quantity? The people in the community 
may want and need a new elderly home 
or museum, but if increased water usage 
no longer allows flushing the toilets and 
requires hauling drinking water, it may 
not have been a wise choice. 

Cost and Benefits 

With the extraction of natural resources, the 
question of who pays for the benefits is very 
crucial and far ranging. Minerals have a way 
of showing up on lands which have, in the 
past, been used to graze cattle or sheep or 
in some cases where villages have stood for 
generations. There is no question that the 
revenue from the minerals and the jobs that 
will come from the mining operations are 
badly needed. Several hundred people may 
be employed by the mining operation at $6 
to $15 an hour. The tribe may receive several 
million dollars a year from the revenue. But 


Proceedings 1 August 10-12, 2004 1 Research Triangle Park, NC 


78 




S. Paytiamo 


what about the sheepherders and cattlemen 
who are deprived of making a living? And 
the homes where their families lived forever. 
What about the people who live in that 
village? What about the noise, the traffic, 
and the air and water pollution—the health 
hazards that result from those activities that 
we know very little about? What about the 
possibility the miners or the people nearby will 
develop cancer or that their children or their 
children’s children will have birth defects 
years from now as a result of the mining? 

Those are costs, too. And what about the 
potential of causing air pollution as far away as 
Albuquerque? Mining and milling of uranium 
in the Grants mineral belt in New Mexico is 
causing air and water pollution and traffic 
problems for a hundred or more miles on 
either side of it. Where do the responsibilities 
begin and end? 

What about the tribe where both the timber 
and fish are important to the economy? 
Improper, un-thoughtful or untimely 
logging methods may clog streams where the 
salmon spawn and cut off the fishermen’s 
livelihood. Herbicide use is a very proper 
part of commercial timber management that 
may have a devastating effect on the fish and 
animals who share the area. Or, they may kill 
plants traditionally used for medicine, basket¬ 
making, or other purposes. 

No one can blame administrators for not 
being able to answer all the questions or even 
for making the wrong decision sometimes. But 
future generations will judge harshly those 
who never ASKED the questions. 


Future 

The Pueblo of Acoma is a sovereign Indian 
nation, recognized as such by the federal 
government of the United States of America, 
Mexico and Spain. The Pueblo, in the exercise 
of its tribal sovereignty remains organized in 
accordance with the oral Pueblo tradition. 
Therefore, it is not required to submit annual 
reports to the State of New Mexico or any 
other government. 

The government of the Pueblo of Acoma 
is very democratic, and a high percentage 
of Pueblo members participate in major 
decisions that affect the Tribe. Environmental 
issues are integral parts of all efforts to 
improve the quality of life. The Tribal 
Council is the governing body of the Pueblo. 
The Council has the power to develop and 
enforce tribal Laws, including laws governing 
environmental quality, and to seek financial 
assistance from the U.S. government. The 
Council has the authority to request treatment 
as a State, be recognized by EPA, and to 
authorize appropriate management and 
protection of the natural resources (water, 
land, etc.) within its lands. 

The Acoma People govern in a consensus 
manner and have practiced ceremonies for 
the good of all since time immemorial. These 
practices and beliefs are taught and pursued 
only through oratories, prayer, songs, and 
dance. They call for an orderly life within the 
natural environment such as a call for clean 
water and air, good crops, and peace of body 
and spirit. The People of Acoma believe in the 
importance of preserving the environment 
so that it will continue to provide natural 
resources necessary for their survival. 

The greatest challenge currently facing the 
Pueblo is the need to modify past habits and 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


79 




The Pueblo of Acoma’s Environmental Vision 


to develop a confidence in controlling its 
own economic future. .To accomplish this, 
major efforts will be necessary concerning 
organizational and systems development, 
further Tribal venture development, 
work force and vocational training, and 
development of community investment and 
financing strategies. • 

While it would be premature to expect the 
Pueblo to sever its current dependence on 
federal dollars to support its own efforts, a 
major goal of the Pueblo, over the long-term, 
will be to decrease the importance of this 
dependency. It is hoped this can be achieved 
by establishing a track record of success and 
by reinventing the rewards of that success into 
expanded economic initiatives on the Pueblo 
Land Grant and Reservation. 

The reservation is environmentally 
impacted by numerous significant threats: 
contamination from nearby uranium mining • 
operations; naturally occurring uranium and 
radon; sewage effluent from Grants, NM; 
open dumps; pueblo wastewater; and pesticide 
contamination from livestock. Human health 
statistics; fish, frog and snake kills in rivers and 
riverbeds; low flying air craft during cultural 
activities; and U.S. trespassing in outer space 
without tribal permission all present cause for 
concern. It is our natural reaction that the 
transportation of all hazardous waste across 
Indian lands worries us very much. 

The entire Pueblo of Acoma is rightfully 
considered an environmentally disadvantaged 
community. It has suffered, and continues to 
suffer, the negative environmental impacts of 
nearby uranium mining and other industrial 
activities that have depleted and contaminated 
water supplies; of faulty natural gas pipelines 
traversing the reservation to serve outside 


sources; and of sewage effluent and overflow 
from ineffective wastewater treatment facilities 
in neighboring municipalities. There are few 
resources to combat these problems and to 
correct the reservation’s own waste disposal 
practices. Therefore, the Pueblo itself is the 
“ d i sadva n tage d c om m u n i ty. ” 

The Tribe’s annual determination of its 
environmental agenda, its Environmental 
Needs Assessment, and the resulting follow¬ 
up, require a significant, on-going master 
plan. Other overall environmental planning 
activities that are occurring include water 
issues, wastewater and solid waste management 
practices and air quality assessments. 

Through the land you can see where the 
Indian people have faced the challenge and 
have instituted change. Not all change has 
been good. More employment opportunities 
need to be developed for people on our lands. 
Never again should our people be forced 
to live outside our lands because there are 
insufficient employment opportunities, or be 
forced to sit at home weaving baskets, weaving 
rugs, making jewelry, herding sheep, making 
pottery, etc., because of a lack of other skills or 
knowledge. 

We must work hand-in-hand towards Indian 
control and development of Indian resources. 
Too little has been accomplished so far. Indian 
leaders have tried diligently to drive home the 
message in Washington and throughout the 
country. We have been taken for granted far 
too long. Our patience is at an end. 

It is time we acted to follow the principles 
of our founding fathers who wrote in the 
constitution, we must “Promote the General 
Welfare.” We want to contribute to meeting 
America’s goals of economic growth and 


80 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 





S. Paytiamo 


stability, but not at the sacrifice of that which 
we respect: our land and our needs. Because 
we compete in a national and even global 
market, we must be sensitive to its realities, 
but we must insist that those who come 
from outside our lands respect our laws, our 
traditions, our people and our land. 

Treat the earth well. 

It was not given to you by 
your parents, 

It was loaned to you by your 
children. 

We do not inherit the Earth 
from our Ancestors, 

We borrow it from our 
Children. 

- Ancient Indian 
Proverb 







Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


81 









ALBUQUERQUE AREA COMBINED TOTALS 


The Pueblo of Acoma’s Environmental Vision 



82 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 


















































Patricia Bradley 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 


The ecological footprint is one tool that may provide insight about the 
relationship between sustainability issues and an aging society. Ecological 
footprint calculations are based on the idea that most of the resources 
consumed and many of the wastes generated by humans can be measured 
and these measurements can be converted to corresponding areas of 
productive land or sea. The ecological footprint provides a tool for 
cities and regions to prepare for an aging society in a more sustainable 
manner. 





Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 83 


























<5 




Ecological Footprint Accounting: 
Comparing Resource Availability 
With an Economy’s Resource Demand 


Mathis Wackernagel, Ph.D., Dan Moran, 

Steven Goldfinger, Ph.D., and Mike Wallace 

Global Footprint Network 


The Global Footprint Network is advancing the science of sustainability. 

It increases the effectiveness and reach of the Ecological Footprin t by 
strengthening the Footprint community, standardizing the tool and building 
wide support for bringing human demands in line with Earth's limited 
resources. More on the science behind the Ecological Footprint and examples 
of how it has been used to advance sustainability can be found on the 
website: wiuw.FootprintNetwork. org. 


Why Track Resource Consumption and 
Natural Capital? 

Sustainability promises rewarding lives for 
all, now and in the future. Natural capital— 
nature’s goods and services—as not the only 
ingredient in this vision. But without this ty pe 
of capital —without healthy food, energy for 
mobility and heat, fiber for paper, clothing 
and shelter, fresh air and clean water— 
sustainability is impossible. This is why careful 
management of natural capital is central 
to current and future human well-being. 
Sustainability thus depends on protecting 
natural capital from systematic overuse; 
otherwise nature will no longer be able to 
provide society with these basic services. 

How well are we using natural capital? Without 
measurements, we are blind and cannot 


effectively manage these essential natural 
resources. To take care of our natural capital, 
we must know how much we have and how 
much we use. This is no different from any 
financially responsible household, business, or 
government using accounts to keep track of its 
income and spending. To protect our natural 
assets, we need accounts that keep track of 
humanity’s demands on nature and nature’s 
supply of ecological resources. 

Ecological Footprint Accounts: 
Capturing Human Demand on Nature 

Ecological Footprint accounts are like 
balance sheets. They document for any given 
population the area of biologically productive 
land and sea required to produce the 
renewable resources this population consumes 
and to assimilate the waste it generates, 



Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 85 





Ecological Footprint Accounting: 

Comparing Resource Availability with an Economy’s Resource Demand 


using prevailing technology. In other words, 
Ecological Footprints document the extent 
to which human.communities stay within 
the regenerative capacity of the biosphere 
and who uses each portion of this capacity 
(Wackernagel and Rees, 1996). 

Such biophysical resource accounting is 
possible because resources and waste flows 
can be tracked and because most of these 
flows can be associated with the biologically 
productive area required to maintain 
them. Thus, the Ecological Footprint of 
a community is the area of biologically 
productive land and sea required to produce 
the resources this community consumes and 
to assimilate the wastes it generates, given 
prevailing technology. This area is expressed 
in global acres— adjusted acres that represent 
the average yield of all bioproductive areas 
on Earth. Since people use resources from all 
over the world and pollute far away places with 
their wastes, the Ecological Footprint accounts 
for these areas wherever they happen to be 
located on the planet. 

Ecological Footprint Results 

For each given year, Ecological Footprints 
compare human demand on nature with 
nature’s regenerative capacity. Recent 
calculations, published in World Wildlife 
Fund for Nature International’s (WWF) Living 
Planet Report 2002 (WWF, 2002), show that the 
average Canadian required 22 global average 
acres to provide for his or her consumption. 

If everyone on Earth consumed at this level, 
we would need four additional planets. The 
average Italian lived on a Footprint less than 
half that size (9.4 global acres). The average 
Mexican occupies 6.2 global acres, the average 
Indian lives on about one-fourth of that. The 


global average demand is 5.7 global acres per 
person (for more countries see table 1 on 
following page). 

In contrast, the current supply of biologically 
productive land and sea on this planet adds 
up to 4.7 acres per person. Less is available 
per person if we allocate some of this area to 
the other species which also depend on it. 
Providing space for other species is necessary 
if we want to maintain the biodiversity that 
may be essential for the health and stability of 
the biosphere. 

Comparing supply and demand, we see that 
humanity’s Ecological Footprint exceeds the 
Earth's biocapacity by over 20% (5.7 [global 
acres/cap]/4.7 [global acres/cap]=1.2). In 
other words, it takes more than one year 
and two months to regenerate the resources 
humanity consumes in one year. Global 
demand began outpacing supply only recently, 
beginning in the late 1970s or early 1980s. 

In 1961, for example, it took only 0.5 years 
to regenerate what was used in that year, as 
shown in the figure below (Wackernagel et ah, 
2002 ). 



Year 


Figure 1. Today’s Ecological Footprint exceeds 
Earth’s biological capacity. 


86 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 1 Research Triangle Park, NC 







M. Wackernagel et al. 


Table 1 . Comparison of the Ecological Footprint and the Biological Capacity of selected countries. 



Population 

[millions] 

Ecological 

Footprint 

global acres/cap 

Biological 

Capacity 

global acres/cap 

Ecological Deficit 

(-) or Reserve (+) 

global acres/cap 

WORLD 

5,979 

5.7 

4.7 

-1.0 

Argentina 

37 

7.4 

16.6 

8.9 

Australia 

19 

18.8 

36.1 

17.3 

Brazil 

168 

5.9 

14.8 

8.9 

Canada 

31 

21.7 

35.1 

13.3 

China 

1,272 

3.7 

2.5 

-1.2 

Egypt 

67 

3.7 

2.0 

-1.7 

France 

59 

13.1 

7.2 

-5.9 

Germany 

82 

11.6 

4.2 

-7.4 

India 

993 

2.0 

1.7 

-0.2 

Indonesia 

209 

2.7 

4.4 

1.7 

Italy 

58 

9.4 

3.0 

-6.7 

Japan 

127 

11.9 

1.7 

-10.1 

Korea, Rep. 

46 

8.2 

1.7 

-6.4 

Mexico 

97 

6.2 

4.2 

-2.0 

Netherlands 

16 

11.9 

2.0 

-9.9 

Pakistan 

138 

1.5 

1.0 

-0.5 

Philippines 

74 

3.0 

1.5 

-1.5 

Russian Federation 

146 

II. 1 

11.9 

1.0 

Sweden 

9 

16.6 

18.0 

1.5 

Thailand 

62 

3.7 

3.5 

-0.5 . 

United Kingdom 

60 

13.1 

4.0 

-9.1 

United States 

280 

24.0 

13.1 

-10.9 

Combined 

4,049 

6.2 

4.7 

- 1.5 


In the last column, negative numbers indicate an ecological deficit, positive numbers an ecological 
reserve . All results are expressed in global hectares, hectares of biologically productive space with 
world-average productivity. 


Note that numbers may not always add up due to rounding. These Ecological Footprint results are 
based on 1999 data. (WWF, Living Planet Report 2002) 

v_____:_ J 

(CO,,) can be emitted into the atmosphere 
more quickly than ecosystems can sequester it. 
With humanity’s current demand on nature, 
ecological deficit, or “overshoot,” is no longer 
merely a local but a global phenomenon. We 
are now consuming not only nature’s interest, 


Overshoot and Ecological Deficit 

It is possible to exceed global biocapacity 
because trees can be harvested faster than 
they regrow, fisheries can be depleted more 
rapidly than they restock and carbon dioxide 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


87 


















Ecological Footprint Accounting: 

Comparing Resource Availability with an Economy’s Resource Demand 


but also invading the principle. Overshoot 
causes the liquidation of natural capital: 
carbon accumulates in the atmosphere, 
fisheries collapse, deforestation spreads, 
biodiversity is lost and freshwater becomes 
scarce. Efficiency gains have helped to some 
extent: humanity’s Ecological Footprint has 
grown slower than economic activities. Still, 
human demand on nature has steadily risen 
to a level where the human economy is now in 
global ecological overshoot. 

Applications of Ecological Footprint 
Accounts 

The Ecological Footprint can be applied 
at scales ranging from single products to 
organizations, cities, regions, nations and 
humanity as a whole. It can be used to 
help budget limited natural capital. It also 
makes clear the four complementary ways in 
which ecological deficits can be reduced or 
eliminated: 

(1) LTse resource-efficient technology that 
reduces the demand on natural capital; 

(2) Reduce human consumption while 
preserving people’s quality of life, 
for example reduce on the need for 
fossil fuels by making cities pedestrian 
friendly; 

(3) Lower the size of the human family 
in equitable and humane ways so that 
total consumption decreases even if per 
capita demand remains unchanged; 
and, 

(4) Invest in natural capital, for example 
by implementing resource extraction 
methods that increase rather than 
compromise the land’s biological 
productivity, thereby increasing supply. 


There have been Footprint applications on 
every continent. Global and national accounts 
have been reported in headlines worldwide 
and over 100 cities or regions have assessed 
their Ecological Footprint (see Table 2 and 
discussion in next section). In California, 
Sonoma County’s Footprint project Time to 
Lighten Up has inspired all cities of the county 
to sign up for the Climate Saver Initiative 
of the International Council for Local 
Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). Wales 
has adopted the Ecological Footprint as its 
headline indicator. WWF International, one 
of the world’s most influential conservation 
organizations, uses the Ecological Footprint 
in its communication and policy work for 
advancing conservation and sustainability. 
Government agencies, particularly in Europe, 
have studied the implication of Ecological 
Footprint results and have reexamined the 
significance of carrying capacity. A number of 
national ministers have repeatedly used the 
concept, including French President Jacques 
Chirac in his speech to the World Summit on 
Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. 
Even larger media outlets are picking up 
the ideas: The Economist titled its July 2002 
insert on the global environment “How many 
planets?”, based on a Footprint assessment 
that showed it would take three planet Earths 
if all people lived Organization for Economic 
Cooperation and Development (OECD) 
lifestyles. 


88 


Proceedings 1 August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 




M. Wackernagel et al. 


Table 2. Ecological Footprint Applications for Urban Development 

Ecological Footprint analysis serves a wide range of urban development projects. The communication 
benefits are obvious since Footprint results can be directly compared to national and global 
assessments, and thus provide a benchmark for assessing the achievements of policy or design 
choices for developments. But it also supports decision-making in support of Footprint reduction 
opportunities. The biggest and most cost-effective opportunities present themselves in the design 
process. Many strategies enhance the ecological performance of developments, including: 


Building design and layout (e.g., North- 
South orientation, natural lighting, ease 
of pedestrian access); 

Energy use (e.g., through technologies, 
such as energy efficiency, solar energy 
use, and insulation; and by design that 
encourages lifestyle changes); 

Urban form and density (e.g., closeness to 
public transportation, clustering, integration 
of recreational, work and living areas); 

Transportation and lifestyle strategies 
(e.g., reduction strategies and mode shift 
such as to public transportation, reduced 
availability of parking spots, pedestrian and 
bicycle paths, reduction in transportation 
needs); 


Material use (e.g., non-toxic, local 
construction material, sustainable harvested 
and certified timber); 

Waste management and material • 
stewardship (e.g., availability of composting, 
reuse, recycling); 

Food availability (e.g., provision of growing 
areas for community gardens, spaces that 
encourage farmers’ markets and local 
shops); 

Development costs (e.g., affordability as 
a resource saving strategy since every $ 
additional investment has a Footprint for 
generating these financial resources). 


Well designed developments can achieve energy and resource savings. Using fewer resources 
results in less carbon dioxide and pollutant emissions. Considerations include architectural design 
that leverages natural lighting and reduces artificial lighting, North-South building orientation, water 
collection-that re-uses grey water for landscaping, insulation that reduces heating/cooling needs, 
energy efficient light bulbs and appliances, etc. 






V. 


There are many quality-of-life benefits of compact, eco-friendly cities, including advantages for 
human health and well-being. For example, increased exercise by residents (in Amsterdam, 25% of 
all journeys are by bicycle and levels of obesity are much lower than in London); enhanced sense of 
community created by increased public spaces and street life; enhanced sense of safety which comes 
from interactive communities; reduction in motor noise; reduction in traffic accidents (a major cause 
of death in many cities); reduction in respiratory disease (20,000 deaths each year in the UK are 
attributable to air pollution); increased availability of locally produced, organically grown food; and an 
improved local economy (James and Desai, 2003).' 

Specific examples of Footprints applied to urban developments are: 

Walker, L. and W.E. Rees, 1997: Urban density and ecological footprints: An analysis of 
Canadian households. In: Eco-city Dimensions: Healthy Communities, Healthy Planet, M. 
Roseland (ed.), New Society, Gabriola Island, B.C. 




(Continued on following page) 












Ecological Footprint Accounting: 

Comparing Resource Availability with an Economy’s Resource Demand 


Table 2 (continued). Ecological Footprint Applications for Urban Development 
- — : • ' \ 

John Barrett et at., 2003, Sustainability Rating for Homes—The Ecological Footprint 
Component. Report to BioRegional Development Group. Stockholm Environment institute, 

York, United Kingdom. 

The sustainable consumption unit of the Stockholm Environment Institute in York 
which produced this report has led a number of other studies of cities or regions (http: 
//www.york.ac.uk/inst/sei/IS/sustain.html). They also contributed, with BioRegional, to 
a WWF-UK report called One Planet Living in the Thames Gateway which identifies 
Footprint saving potentials for greener urban developments. The report is available at: 
www.wwf.org.uk/filelibrary/pdf/thamesgatewaypdf. 

Bill Dunster, UK’s leading ecological architect, uses the Footprint as the context for his 
designs. More on his work can be found at www.zedfactory.com. 

V._ • • : _____ 


Case Study: Calculating London’s 
Ecological Footprint 

There may well be over one hundred 
Ecological Footprint studies for cities, ranging 
from student projects to comprehensive 
analyses of a metropolitan area’s demand 
on nature. London, for instance, has already 
gone through three rounds. In 1995, urban 
sustainability expert Herbert Girardet 
estimated that the UK capital’s Footprint was 
125 times the size of the city itself. In other 
words, in order to function, London required 
an area the size of the entire productive land 
surface of the UK to provide all the resources 
the city uses and to dispose of its pollutants 
and waste. 

In 2000, under the leadership of Mayor 
Ken Livingstone, London commissioned a 
more detailed Ecological Footprint study 
called City Limits. The report, sponsored 
by organizations including the Chartered 
Institution of Wastes Management, the 
Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and 
the Biffaward Programme on Sustainable 
Resource Use, was produced by Best Foot 
Forward.and launched in September 


2002. Results for this city and its 7 million 
inhabitants are available at: 

http://www. citylimitslondon. corn 

To respond to the challenges identified by 
the City Limits report, London Remade, a 
business membership organization supported 
by over 300 of the capital’s major businesses 
and higher education institutions, wanted to 
analyze possible steps for reducing London’s 
Footprint. In collaboration with London 
First, a waste management partnership, it 
commissioned consulting companies WSP 
Environmental and Natural Strategies to 
identify the reduction potential in a project 
called Toward Sustainable London: Reducing 
the Capital’s Ecological Footprint. The first 
of four reports, Determining London’s 
Ecological Footprint and Priority Impact Areas 
for Action, is available at: 
http: //www. londonremade. com/lr_footpnnting. asp 

Performing and Ecological Footprint Analysis 
is a well-documented and understood practice. 
Table 3 gives an overview of a possible process. 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 


90 









r 


Table 3. Summary of a potential Footprint Campaign fora local government or local group. 


Preparations 


Identify budget 

Recruit a project team and a 
coordinator (on staff) 

Set the context and write the project 
specifications 


Communication 


• Create an e-list of people interested 
in the Footprint project including 
community activists, academics, 
elected officials, media contacts, etc 
This list is used for sending out project 
updates and invitations to events 

• Hold a public meeting to announce 
project 

• Establish an engaging website 

• Work with local media to publicize 
project progress and results, providing 
them materials 

Calculation. 

• Train own staff or contract with qualified 
consultant or nongovernmental 
organization (NGO) to measure city’s 
Ecological Footprint in a way consistent 
with emerging standards 

• Gather local data for the calculations 




Explore opportunities for 
cross-cutting initiatives 

• Start identifying with planning staff 
new opportunities for advancing 
sustainability strategies in transport¬ 
ation, energy and land-use planning 
using the Footprint as a communication 
tool 


Engage the public 

• Hold public working meetings to discuss 
the calculations and identify limitations 
and opportunities fo.r city 

• Write meeting report for participants 
and city staff 


Publicize Results 

• Write a report with project results. Print 
copies and distribute to conference 
attendees, elected officials, etc. Also, 
post report on the web 

• Hold a conference to unveil the results 
of the calculation and discuss the 
results and next steps 

• Make presentations about project 
results to civic groups, appointed and 

• elected governmental bodies, etc 


When estimating resources needs: include outside support as well as the time and resources used by 
city staff for analysis as well as other activities such as organizing events, engaging with local press and 
developing mailing lists. 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


91 





































Ecological Footprint Accounting: 

Comparing Resource Availability with an Economy’s Resource Demand 


National and Regional Applications 

A number of national and regional Footprint 
studies have contributed to policy discussions, 
some in close cooperation with government 
agencies. For example: 

• Wales (pop. 2,900,000). The National 
Assembly for Wales adopted the 
Ecological Footprint as their headline 

• indicator for sustainability in March 
of 2001, making Wales the first 
nation to do so. The Erst report 
was commissioned through WWF- 
Cymru and executed by Best Foot 
Forward. This report details Welsh 
• energy, transportation and materials 
management. It can be found at: 
http: //www. wwf-uk. org/filelibrary/pdf/ 
walesfootprint.pdf. 

• The State of Victoria, Australia (pop. 
4,650,000). EPA Victoria, the lead state 
agency responsible for protecting the 
environment, established a series of 
pilot projects in 2002 in partnership 
with a wide range of organizations and 
businesses to further investigate the 
practical applications of the Ecological 
Footprint to promote sustainability. 

See www.epa.vic.gov.au/eco-footprint. The 
campaign is expanding its reach for 
2004. 

• Sonoma County, California (30 miles 
north of San Francisco, pop. 495,000). 
Under a grant from EPA, Sustainable 
Sonoma County, a local NGO, used the 
Ecological Footprint as the foundation 
of a 2002 campaign. By inviting wide 
public participation and comment on 
the study before it was released, it was 
able to generate strong local buy-in. 


As a result, the launch of the study 
got county-wide media coverage and 
built the groundwork for a subsequent 
campaign. The latter resulted in all 
municipalities of Sonoma County 
committing simultaneously to reduce 
their CO ,emissions by 20%, making it 
the first U.S. county to do so. To meet 
this commitment, they established 
programs that track progress towards 
fneeting their reduction goal. The 
Sonoma Footprint study is available at: 
www. sustainablesonoma. org/projects/ 
scefootpnnt. html 

An Indicator for “Strong” and “Weak” 
Sustainability 

By monitoring human use of renewable 
natural capital, Ecological Footprint 
accounts provide guidance for sustainability: 
a Footprint smaller than the available 
biocapacity is a necessary condition for 
“strong sustainability,” a stance which asserts 
that securing people’s well-being necessitates 
maintaining natural capital. 

Some argue that “strong sustainability” is too 
stringent since technology and knowledge can 
compensate for lost ecological assets. While 
this can be debated, even managing for “weak 
sustainability” requires reliable accounting 
of assets. Hence, by measuring the overall 
supply of and human demand on regenerative 
capacity, the Ecological Footprint serves as an 
ideal tool for tracking progress, setting targets 
and driving policies for sustainability. 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 


92 




M. Wackernagel et al. 


What’s in it for Governments and 
Regions? 

Ecological Footprint accounts allow 
governments to track a city’s or region’s 
demand on natural capital and to compare 
this demand with the amount of natural 
capital actually available. The accounts also 
give governments the ability to answer more 
specific questions about the distribution 
of these demands within their economy. 

For example, Footprint accounts reveal the 
ecological demand associated with residential 
consumption, the production of value-added 
products or the generation of exports; or 
they help assess the ecological capacity 
embodied in the imports upon which a region 
depends. This can help in understanding the 
region’s constraints or future liabilities in 
comparison with other regions of the world 
and in identifying opportunities to defend or 
improve the local quality of life. 

Footprint accounts help governments become 
more specific about sustainability in a number 
of ways. The accounts provide a common 
language and a clearly defined methodology 
that can be used to support training of staff 
and to communicate about sustainability 
issues with other levels of government or 
with the public. Footprint accounts acid 
value to existing data sets on production, 
trade and environmental performance by , 
providing a comprehensive way to interpret 
them. For instance, the accounts can help 
guide “environmental management systems 
by offering a framework for gathering and 
organizing data, setting targets and tracking 
progress. The accounts can also serve 
environmental reporting requirements and 
inform strategic decision making for regional 
economic development. 


In addition, monitoring demand and supply 
of natural capital allows governments to: 

• Build a region’s competitiveness by 
monitoring ecological deficits, since 
over time these deficits could become 
an increasing economic liability; 

• Stay aligned with the business 
community’s increasing focus on 
sustainability as a way to decrease future 
vulnerability; 

• Manage common assets more 
effectively. Without an effective metric, 
these assets are typically valued at 
zero or less and their contribution to 
society is not systematically assessed nor 
included in strategic planning; 

• Have access to an early warning device 
for long-term security that recognizes 
emerging scarcities and identifies 
global trends; 

• Monitor the combined impact of 
ecological pressures that are more 
typically evaluated independently, such 
as climate change, fisheries collapse, 
loss of cropland, forestry overharvesting 
and urban sprawl; 

• Identify local and global possibilities 
for climate change mitigation and 
examine the trade-offs between 
different approaches to atmospheric 
C0 2 reduction; and 

• Test policy options for future viability 
and possible unintended consequences. 
For instance, it supports urban 
design processes, opens dialogue 

with stakeholders, helps manage 
expectations, provides a platform for 
sustainability management systems, 
supports training for sustainability, 


Agirrg Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


93 




Ecological Footprint Accounting: 

Comparing Resource Availability with an Economy’s Resource Demand 


allows for ecological risk assessments, 
explain past successes more effectively. 

Without regional resource accounting, 
countries can easily overlook or fail to realize 
the extent of these kinds of opportunities 
and threats. The Ecological Footprint, a 
comprehensive, science-based resource 
accounting system that compares people’s use 
of nature with nature’s ability to regenerate, 
helps eliminate this blind spot. 


References 

Mathis Wackernagel, and William E. Rees, 

Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human 
Impact on the Earth. New Society Publishers, 
Gabriola Island. 1996. 

World Wildlife Fund for Nature International 
(WWF), UNEP World Conservation 
Monitoring Centre, Redefining Progress, 
with the Center for Sustainability Studies, 
2002, Living Planet Report 2002, WWF, 
Gland, Switzerland. 

Mathis Wackernagel, Niels B. Schulz, Diana 
Deumling, Alejandro Callejas Linares, 
Martin Jenkins, Valerie Kapos, Chad 
Monfreda, Jonathan Loh, Norman Myers, 
Richard Norgaard, and Jprgen Randers, 
“Tracking the ecological overshoot of the 
human economy,” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 
USA, Vol. 99, Issue 14, 9266-9271, July 9, 
2002. 

James, Nick and Pooran Desai. 2003. One 
Planet Living in the Thames Gateway, A 
WWF-UK One Million Sustainable Homes 
Campaign Report by the BioRegional 
Development Group, SEI and WWF UK, 
June 2003. www.wwf.org.uk/filelibrary/pdf/ 
thamesgateway.pdf 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 


— 


94 




Patricia Bradley 1 and EricWalbeck 2 
Environmental Protection Agency and 
2 Perot Systems Government Services 

Consistent with standard risk assessment approaches, workshop breakout 
discussions (Focal Area Breakout Groups) were structured to focus on: A) 
projected demographic and lifestyle patterns of an aging population (sources 
of environmental stress), B) temporal and spatial changes in land-use and 
environmental stressors resulting from these patterns (exposure) and C) likely 
effects resulting from changing land-use and exposure regimes on natural 
resources and environmental quality (effects). Considerations of expected 
variation in lifestyles and regional differences are important to all three issues. 
Each breakout group was asked to identify and discuss existing information 
important to their respective portion of this simplified risk paradigm and to 
identify the significant knowledge gaps in the data, methods and models needed 
to address that portion. Bridging these gaps (once prioritized) will be the 
primary goal of ORD’s ecological research program relative to the impacts of the 
aging population. 

Workshop participants were assigned to one of the three focal breakout groups. 
Each breakout group consisted of both experts and stakeholders, and was led 
and facilitated by a workshop representative. One volunteer from each group 
captured the salient issues, information, and discussion points on flip charts. 

This material was used to support the breakout group’s plenary presentation 
on the last day of the workshop. The deliberations and plenary presentations of 
each group were structured to: 

• Identify issues salient to the group’s focal area, 

• Identify known sources of information (data, methods, and models) 

• salient to the group’s focal area, 

• Identify significant gaps in that information that are needed to 
understand the ecological risks associated with an aging population, 

• Suggest research (data collection, method, and model development) to 

. bridge the significant gaps, • 

• Provide a sense of priority with respect to research needs. 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 95 





Introduction: Breakout Sessions 


The original focal area breakout groups were rearranged so that individuals 
from each focal group were represented in each of the Interactions/ 
Linkages Breakout Groups. These sessions concentrated on interactions 
and linkages among the themes developed in the focal groups. 

The facilitator for each session ensured that the critical issues and 
discussion points were captured at the end of each session. These 
critical captures contributed directly to the final summary session of the 
Workshop and to these Workshop Proceedings and provided input for the 
“Post Workshop Considerations for Research and New Directions” and 
“Synthesis” sections that follow. 











96 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 




Mary Holland (Facilitator) 


Perot Systems Government Services 


Projected Demographic and Lifestyle 
Patterns of an Aging Population 
(Sources of Environmental Stress) 

Charge and Approach 

Focal Group A was asked to identify existing 
information and gaps in that information 
relative to expected trends in the numbers 
and lifestyles of the aging population. Specific 
questions addressed included: 

• Is there sufficient information to 
forecast lifestyle behaviors of an aging 
population? If not, what information 
is missing and how can we capture it? 
Where is the information that does 
exist? 

• How are trends expected to differ 
regionally? 

• What research is critically needed 
to develop a more complete 
understanding of expected 
demographic and lifestyle trends? 

• In what ways can the young-old 
and old-old serve as a resource for 
environmental protection and related 

• research? 

Focal Group A included national research 
and practitioner experts on demographic and 
lifestyle trends of an aging US. population, 
so the Group drew on its knowledge about 
existing information and gaps. It was also 


suggested that there might be a more 
systematic survey of existing information. 

Availability of Information 

Focal Group A tackled the fundamental 
question: Is there sufficient information to forecast 
lifestyle behaviors of an aging population ? The 
initial conclusion was “Yes”—a qualified 
yes. There was some discussion of how you 
can ever really know if there was sufficient 
information. One recurring issue throughout 
the Group and workshop discussion was 
whether enough information exists regarding 
how tail-end Boomers will age in the future. 

It is widely expected that this cohort will 
behave unpredictably. This phenomenon 
underscores the need for a dynamic approach 
to lifestyle research. Ken Dychtwald was noted 
as an author (Age Wave) who has devoted 
his career to understanding the lifestyle, 
marketing, financial, healthcare and workforce 
implications of the “age wave”—or aging Baby 
Boomers. 

Focal Group A discussed some of the issues 
associated with analyzing the demographic 
and lifestyle trends of the aging population. 
The Group felt that an important element 
of understanding demographic and lifestyle 
trends is to have an across-the-board look at 
trends. Yet, one fundamental issue highlighted 
by the group was appreciating the diversity 
of cohort behavior; the “aging population” 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 97 





Summary: Focal Area Breakout Group A 


does not behave in a homogenous fashion. 
Census data were cited as an important source 
for understanding trends. Focal Group A 
discussed the various ways that you could 
segment the data. For example, analysis could 
focus on income level, consumption patterns, 
race, religious and cultural backgrounds, or 
political attitudes. The Ecological Footprint 
(explained in the plenary session) is likely to 
differ across different segments. 

Focal Group A considered the analysis that 
would examine the full cycle from lifestyle 
trend to consequences to project effects. For 
example, the Group discussed doing a life- 
cycle assessment on different consumption 
patterns, such as pharmaceutical use. Focal 
Group A also discussed the importance of 
understanding the consequences of certain 
group behavior, for example, the food chain 
impact of subsistence fishing or the rate of 
pedestrian accidents related to an increased 
number of older drivers. 

Missing Information 

After a general discussion of the availability 
of lifestyle and demographic data, the 
Group brainstormed what types of 
information are missing. The need for 
projections and modeling topped Focal 
Group A’s list. The Group discussed the 
“futurist” approach—using the Delphi 
method, which is a way of collecting and 
distilling the forecasts of a group of experts 
while ensuring that neither individual 
bias nor “group think” prevails in the 
final assessment. A suggested resource 
for projections is The Art-of the Long Vieiu: 
Planning for the Future in an Uncertain World, 
by Peter Schwartz, which outlines the use 
of scenario exercises to develop future, 
visions upon which to base decisions. 
Modeling could integrate variables such 


as income, education, health and the 
likelihood of moving. Dynamic systems 
modeling was applied in reforming New 
York State’s long-term care system. 

Focal Group A also discussed the 
fundamental issue of how to define aging. 
Various institutions define and collect 
aging data based on different thresholds. 
New definitions of aging based on cultural 
and ethnic considerations might be useful. 

Focal Group A also discussed the potential 
value of pinpointing environmental 
attitudes to location, in order to better 
predict behavior. However, large datasets 
are hard to break down geographically. 

So the Group felt it would be extremely 
valuable to augment those types of 
databases with targeted surveys or case 
studies that, can offer in-depth looks at 
various facets of lifestyle trends among an 
aging population. For example, this multi¬ 
level research may help to more closely 
examine choices related to aging in place 
or choosing a retirement community. 

Focal Group A discussed at length how to 
capture attitudinal data both to predict 
behavior and to educate aging Americans 
about the impact of lifestyle choices. As 
one ages and moves, does one experience 
a loss of concern about environmental 
issues—perhaps related to a loss of 
identity with place? Do people really not 
care about other people and countries? 
The Group discussed how to appeal to 
aging Americans’ potential interest in 
establishing a legacy. To that end, research 
might examine the overarching psychology 
and commonwealth motivation that leads 
some to embrace a stewardship legacy 
ethic. Research on individuals’ civic 


98 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 





M. Holland 


Existing Information 

Focal Group A brainstormed some of 
the existing data sources and authorities 
on demographics and lifestyle trends of 
an aging population. Census data are a 
key source of lifestyle and demographic 
data. William Frey, a visiting fellow at the 
Brookings Institution, is well regarded 
for his Census extrapolations. Among 
his work is an article that was included 
in the workshop handouts, published 
by The Brookings Institution Center on 
Urban and Metropolitan Policy: Boomers 
and Seniors in the Suburbs: Aging Patterns in 
Census 2000. 

Focal Group A discussed a number of 
surveys and other data sources that focus 
on various aspects of demographics 
relevant to understanding an aging 
population. For some of the surv eys, EPA 
could fund an add-on module to target 
data collection towards the impact of aging 
.Americans on ecology and environmental 
quality. Those sources are listed in Table 1 
(see following page). 


engagement over their lifespan may be 
valuable to understand how to. encourage 
more choices that consider the common 
good. 

The Group wanted to better understand 
how to market successfully to an aging 
population, with a view to “environmental 
marketing" to effect behavior changes. 

The group felt effective marketing would 
appeal to self-interest. For example, 
energy consumption demand may be 
lowered more effectively by a “low-cost” 
versus an “energy-efficient” appeal to 
older Americans—same potential result, 
but different approach. One challenge 
addressed by the Group was how to make 
quality 7 more appealing than quantity. 
Related research might help to better 
understand some consumption practices, 
including a preference for outsized 
space. The Group discussed some 
personal experiences with high-demand 
neighborhoods that had smaller homes but 
a highly desirable community spirit. 

The Group discussed capturing success 
stories, by searching for environmental 
model cities or developments, such as 
Dewees Island, South Carolina, which is 
considered one of the best examples of 
ecological development. They also talked 
about identifying and sharing elements 
of retirement communities that have 
incorporated environmentally sensitive 
practices. Comparative research of 
countries with high standards of living— 
such as Japan, Sweden and Norway—was 
also discussed. 


The Group discussed how to capture disability 
data, which mav have some correlation 
to whether or not older .Americans age in 
place. Census data capture some measure of 
disability. Physicians also capture accessibility 
information (e.g., stair use information) which 
might be aggregated. 

Several market surveys are conducted by 
different entities, including, for example, 
AARP, social service agencies, and insurance 
companies. Pulte Homes Del Webb group, 
for example, does extensive research on 
preferences and behaviors of aging .Americans, 
though its research is proprietary information. 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


99 






Summary: Focal Area Breakout Group A 


Table 1. Surveys and other data sources that focus on various aspects of demographics relevant 
to understanding an aging population. 


DATA SOURCE 

INVESTIGATOR 

DESCRIPTION 

EPA National Time Use Surveys 

Dr. John Robinson, University of 
Maryland, College Park 

Tracks time spent by individuals on various tasks/ 
activities. 

Gerontology Surveys 

Census Bureau, Administration on 
Aging, CDC, and others 

Collection of surveys regarding all aspects of aging. 

. « * 

Americans' Changing Lives Project 

University of Michigan 

Longitudinal study of the relationships between 
aging, health, and social conditions, started in 1986. 

Health and Retirement Study 

University of Michigan 

Biannual survey that paints an emerging portrait 
of an aging America's physical and mental health, 
insurance coverage, financial status, family support 
systems* labor market status, and retirument planning. 

Public Health Information Network 
(PHIN) 

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) 

Framework to enable consistent exchange of 
response, health, and disease tracking data between 
public health partners. • 

Summary Health Statistics - health 
measures for U.S. population 

CDC., National Center for Health 
Statistics 

Collection of health surveys and data collection 
systems, data categorized by health topics and/or 
demographics. 

National Survey of Family Growth 

CDC, National Center for Health 
Statistics 

Interviews including questions on schooling, work, 
marriage and divorce, having and raising children 
(including contraceptive use, infertility, and 
parenting), and related medical care. 

National Health and Nutrition 
Examination Survey (NHANES) 

CDC, National Center for Health 
Statistics 

Periodic survey of health and nutrition trends, 
including laboratory analyses of select chemicals 
in the population. 

National Health interview Survey 
(NHIS) 

CDC, National Center for Health 
Statistics 

Continuous nationwide survey; data collected 
through personal household interviews; ongoing 
and special.health topics. 

Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE) 

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau 
of Labor Statistics 

Quarterly interview survey and the Diary survey— 
that provide information on the buying habits of 

American consumers. 

Occupational Employment 

Statistics Survey (OES) 

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau 
of Labor Statistics 

Annual mail survey measuring occupational 
employment and wage rates for wage and salary 
workers in non-farm establishments, by industry. 

Survey of Income and Program 
Participation (SIPP) 

U.S. Census Bureau 

Continuing survey, with monthly interviews; 
collects source and amount of income, labor force 
information, program participation and eligibility 
data, and general demographic characteristics; 
core section plus topical modules. 

General Social Survey 

University of Chicago, National 
Opinion Research Center (NORC) 

Started in 1972. Assesses social changes in contemp¬ 
orary America through a standard core of demographic 
and attitudinal variables, plus topics of special interest. 


Regional Differences 

Focal Group A began to address the question 
of how trends are expected to differ 
regionally. Participants acknowledged regional 
differences and similarities in trends. When 
New York State looks at trends in New York 


City versus Upstate New York, they find that 
big cities upstate have comparable trends to 
New York City. Immigrants are attracted to 
urban areas. 


100 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 










M. Holland 


Rather than citing specific examples at 
length, the Group’s focus quickly shifted to 
discussing the current availability of regional 
data—and the differing definitions of regions 
across institutions that capture and analyze 
demographic data. Typically, geopolitical 
boundaries are used to define regions. The 
EPA, for example, administers programs . 
and often has data grouped according to ten 
standard federal region configurations in 
the U.S. Those studying aging demographics 
often find boundaries that are subsets of, or 
cross federal regions most useful in analyzing 
trends. For example, based on his analysis of 
2000 Census data, William Frey has identified 
three regions: The “New Sunbelt” (13 fast 
growing states, mainly in the Southeast and 
West); “The Melting Pot” (9 states attracting 
most of the immigrant population); and 
“The Heartland” (28 states and the District of 
Columbia, which have the largest share of the 
nation’s older and blue collar population and 
experience slower growth rates). 

Further, the focus of this workshop is 
examining the relationship between 
demographic trends of the aging population 
and impact on ecology and environmental 
quality. Geopolitical boundaries may not 
correspond to ecological issues. Focal 
Group A discussed the desirability of 
collecting or analyzing data by ecoregion. 
Bailey or Omernick are sources of defined 
ecoregions. Focal Group A suggested 
doing a layered regional analysis, using an 
ecoregion base foundation—and overlaying 
with demographics. Overlay factors could 
include percentage growth vs. proportion of 
population; waves of immigrants; percent of 
older adults migrating; and regional carrying 
capacity to respond. Educational translations 
would be important for people to digest and 
use these ecoregion assessments. It was noted 
that in the West, for example, water is the 


“gorilla 5 ' issue; ecoregion assessments would 
help highlight key issues and contributing 
factors underscoring this issue. 

Focal Group A felt a “region” reflects different 
culture, resources, climate, affordability and 
“prettiness.” Those factors are behind regional 
migration trends. 

Research Needs to Understand 
Demographic And Lifestyle Trends 

Focal Group A prioritized key themes of 
its discussion to make recommendations 
for research needed to better understand 
the demographic and lifestyle trends of 
an aging population. Dr. Scott Wright 
felt it was important to put the group’s 
recommendations in context; he 
proposed, and the Group adopted the 
following preface for Focal Group A’s 
recommendations. 

Preface: We have many good datasets in 
regard to demographic and lifestyle trends of 
the aging population. Current forecast data 
for behavior and lifestyles of aging cohorts 
are available and somewhat accessible—but 
may not be reliable or designed to answer 
key questions. Proceed with caution when 
using such data for policy decisions—and 

adjust data over time. 

# * *• * » 

Focal Area Group A’s recommendations 
for research are: 

• Use multi-dimensional studies— 
breadth and depth provide a fuller 
understanding, e.g., analysis of large 
data sets coupled with case studies. 

• Collaborate with others for diverse 
points of view, methods, and sources. 
Run a “Delphi”, (futurist exercise) with 
those collaborators. 

• Capture consumption, medical needs 
ancl lifestyle patterns by cohort and 
geographic area to assess probable 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 







Summary: Focal Area Breakout Group A 


impacts (e.g., energy, water, footprint) 
of greatest concern. 

• Overlay aging population demographic 
data on an ecoregion base layer. 

• Understand aging population’s 
motivation/attitudes toward the 
environment (why certain choices are- 
made), with the goal of informing 
environmental marketing (education 
re: impacts) toward achieving a 
“Stewardship Legacy.” 

• Develop models to predict future aging 
population migration patterns and 
lifestyle choices. 

• Develop a decision support tool 
that integrates different personal 
factors and reflects trade-offs of 
various lifestyle choices, including 
environmental impact. Engage “life 
coaches” and agencies for aging, 
among others, in this effort. 

• Explore external factors (e.g., traffic, 
air pollution) affecting the choice to 
migrate or stay in place. 

• Identify key add-ons to existing survey 
research efforts, including CDC’s 
research surveys. 

• Explore collected, but publicly 
unavailable data (e.g., gerontology 
survey “activities form” administered by 
physicians); acknowledge caveats (i.e., 
potentially skewed by “in-crisis,” well- 
educated, insured sample). 

Aging Population as a Resource for 
Environmental Protection and Related 
Research 

Focal Group A considered some of the 
positive ways in which an aging population 
could impact ecology and environmental 
quality by applying their skills and time to 


volunteering, educating and monitoring. 

In general, the Group felt that it was 
important to provide for meaningful 
volunteer engagement—by matching skills 
and awareness with better volunteer roles for 
environmental protection. The Group noted 
several existing programs that could be better 
tapped, adapted or expanded, including: 

• Expand EPA’s Senior Environmental 
Employees (SEE) Program; revamp 
the SEE Program fo'r problem¬ 
solving, comparable to the Civilian 
Conservation Corps —Environmental 
“VISTA or “Senior Environmental 
Corps”; expand to other agencies—U.S. 
Department of the Interior (DOI), U.S. 
Department of Agriculture (USDA), 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA). 

• Institute an older adults environmental 
monitoring program based on 
GLOBE —a youth education and 
science program sponsored by a 
governmental partnership. 

• Utilize the Environmental Alliance for 
Senior Involvement (EASI). 

• Develop educators through existing 
programs (e.g., tapping Extension 
Service Master Gardeners). 

• Recruit bird watching organizations to 
perform biological surveys. 

Focal Group A also suggested that oral and 
visual (e.g., family photo archives) histories 
from older adults can help characterize 
environmental history and trends (e.g., 
visibility). Other suggestions included 
establishing peer mentoring and training civic 
committee participants. 


102 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 




Kent Thornton (Facilitator) 

FTN Associates 


Changing Land-Use and Environmental 
Stressors (Exposure) 

Focal Area Group B focused on identifying 
existing information and gaps in that 
information relative to predicting how 
pressures on natural resources and 
environment quality will change as the two 
population segments (young-old and old- 
old) grow. Consideration was given to the 
social and environmental amenities required 
by these segments, and how changes in the 
demand for these amenities will introduce 
new and additional environmental stressors or 
influence the temporal and spatial aspects of 
existing stressors. 

* 

Summary 

The original charge for Focal Area Breakout 
Group B was to address four questions related 
to changing land-use and environmental 
stressors: 

1. Is there sufficient information to 
predict patterns of land-use by the 
two population segments? If not, what 
information is missing and how can w r e 
capture it? Where is the information that 
does exist? 

2. What new environmental stresses are 
expected as the result of changes in land- 
use and the increased demand for social 


and environmental amenities? 

3. What infrastructure issues must 
communities address to prepare for 
dramatic increases in theiraging 
population? 

4. What research is critically needed to 
develop a more complete understanding 
of expected patterns of land-use and 
environmental stressors? Are ecological 
footprints a useful tool for this 
assessment? 

Focal Group B focused on the stressor link 
between sources and effects in the ecological 
risk assessment paradigm. The answers to 
the questions posed above were embedded 
in the discussion, but it was difficult for the 
Group to specifically address stressors without 
some understanding of the specific sources 
of stressors and specific environmental 
effects. The following summary highlights 
the excellent discussion that occurred in the 
Breakout Group. 

1. Environmental Issues and 
Information Sources 

Brain-storming was conducted to identify 
environmental issues and information 
sources. Some of the issues included: 

• Use, disposal, and treatment of water 

• Vehicle emissions contributing 
particulates and ozone precursors 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 103 












Summary: Focal Area Breakout Group B 


• Development within sensitive coastal 
and mountain areas, resulting in 
fragmented habitat and increased 
impervious area 

Additional issues are listed in Table 1. 

Many of the issues were not specific to an 
aging population, but an aging population 
will contribute to these issues. One of 
the research areas might be the relative 
contribution of an aging population to 
various stressors. Some stressors might 


be aggravated, while others might be 
ameliorated. For example, migration 
trends of older adults might result in 
farmland in smaller metropolitan areas 
being purchased for development. Other 
effects may occur if alternative crops are 
raised in the future because of preferences 
of an aging population. One suggestion 
was to investigate future trends in 
agricultural markets because agricultural 
activities contribute significant loads-of 
sediment, nutrients, and pesticides to 
aquatic ecosystems. 


Table 1. Potential environmental issues or stressors associated with an aging population. 
(For many issues, the relative contribution from an aging population would be considered, as 
these are not issues associated solely with aging populations). 


Water 


Distribution and infrastructure in both 
existing and new communities 
Change in usage—domestic and 
commercial (e.g., golf courses) 

Treatment for pharmaceuticals 
Failing treatment systems in rural 
communities 

Discharge of pharmaceuticals and by¬ 
products 

Water re-use, recycling 

Increased number of package treatment 

plants 

Additional septic systems 
Increased pollutant transport from 
increased impervious surfaces 
Disposal, leaching of hazardous chemicals 
from electronic waste 


Air 


Land 


Increased waste-adult diapers, 
electronic equipment, disposable 
medical equipment 

Increased habitat fragmentation—trails, 
universal access, development 
Urban sprawl 
Increased congestion 
Increased impervious area 
Increased flooding, runoff 
Increased waste from domestic pets, 
wildlife (e.g., geese on golf courses) 
Fragile environment disturbance 
(Coastal dunes, shores, barrier 
islands, Montane ecosystems, Arid 
ecosystems) 


Vehicle emissions 

Increased emissions from generating increased energy (heating, cooling) 

Haze, decreased visibility 

Ozone damage to terrestrial ecosystems 


104 Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 






























K. Thornton 


Some of the information sources included: 

• Sonoran Institute 

• Urban Land Institute 

• National Association of Home Builders 
(NAHB) 

• EPA’s Aging Initiative 

Additional information sources are listed 
in Table 2. . - 

The Group agreed the list of information 
sources might be almost endless. Many 
of the organizations listed, however, 
have evaluated characteristics of an 
aging population, investigated or 
researched green technology, or can 
provide information on specific stressors 
in different geographic areas. Intel 
Corporation, for example, is investigating 
the impacts of technolog)' on an aging 
population. The Urban Land Institute has 
a Council on Aging to evaluate alternative 
building designs and hardware for older 
adults. 

* *********************** ••••• • » 

Recommendation'. Rather than continue to-brain- 

storm on multiple issues and information 
sources, the group recommended that a 
literature search be conducted and a matrix 
developed that cross-references issues, scale, 
information sources, models, and other 
pertinent information needed to assess 
the effects of an aging population on the 
environment. 

Recommendation: Another recommend-ation 
from this discussion was that new types and 
forms of partnerships need to be developed 
and pursued in the future. There is no them 
versus us; there is only us. These partnerships 
should include the private sector, NGOs, and 
local, state, and federal agencies. 


2. Scale 

The scale at which these studies might be 
•. conducted to maximize the utility of the 
results was a topic raised in this Breakout 


Group. A national or regional scale was 
not considered appropriate for research 
because most decisions are not made at 
this scale, the tools and techniques to 
project the effects ofan aging population 
are too uncertain, and the issues and 
processes are too complex at this scale. 
Most decisions' are made at a local scale, 
and there are multiple techniques, 
procedures, agencies and institutions 
working at this scale. 

Recommendation'. It was also recommended that 
a meta-analysis of multiple local scale studies 
on aging, environmental impacts, ancillary 
transportation, energy, infrastructure, etc., be 
conducted to determine if there are certain 
factors that are common among all or most of 
these local scale issues. 

The Sustainable Environment for Quality 
of Life (SEQL) initiative was suggested to 
be an ideal scale. It is a two-state (North 
Carolina-South Carolina), 15 county, 

85 municipality area that is considering 
the impacts of air and water quality on 
the population and environment. This 
initiative presents an opportunity to 
leverage on-going funds, information, 
resources, and researchers, and has many 
of the population and environmental 
issues related to the effects of an' aging 
population on the environment. 

• ********' • 

.* Recommendation'. Because there is currently 

‘ considerable research and emphasis at the * 

* local scale, it was recommended that EPA * 

\ focus its research at a scale smaller than a * 

• region (i.e., multi-state EPA Regions), but \ 
large enough to consider the cumulative * 
impact of local decisions. 


3. Case Studies & Demonstration Projects 

The SEQL initiative represented a good 
case study or demonstration project with 
the right issues and at the right scale. 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


















Summary: Focal Area Breakout Group B 


Table 2. Selected sources and type of information. 


r 

Source 

Type of Information 

\ 


Urban Land Institute 

Real estate and urban development - councils on 
aging 



National Association of Home Builders 

Seniors housing news, information on building 
trends 



Sonoran Institute 

Conservation information and stakeholders in the 
West 



National Association of Area Agencies on Aging 

Information programs on aging adult population 



National Institute of Environmental Health 

Sciences 

Information on environmental risks, stressors, 
hazards to humans 



California Center for Land Recycling 

Information on reducing urban sprawl and 
repairing fractured communities 



Center for Inclusive Design 
and Environmental Access 

Information on designing facilities for universal 
access, safety, reducing environmental impacts 
from development 



Smart Growth Network 

Policies, practices to reduce urban sprawl and 
promote green technology and environmental 
planning 



National Park Service 

Practices, policies, regulations for low impact trails 
and facilities 



USDA Forest Service 

Information on designing low impact recreational 
practices 



Trust for Public Land 

Information on land management and land 
conservation for recreation, spiritual nourishment, 
and improvement of health and quality of life for 
American communities 



UC-Riverside CE-CERT (College of Engineering 
Center for Environmental Research and 
Technology) 

Think tank on issues such as traffic, urban 
planning, and air quality, including industrial, 
academic, and government partnerships 



Brookings Institution 

, Think tank with interests in cities and suburbs, 
demographics, economics, environment, and 
social policy 

- 

r 

The Nature Conservancy. 

Conservation through design, including targeting 
areas, land management, stream restoration, 
public-private partnerships 



American Institute of Architects 

Creation of a better built environment, including 
green technology, open spaces, planning, and 
economic analyses 



Texas Transportation Institute 

Transportation planning and Smart Growth for 
improving neighborhood design 



Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) 

Economic benefits from environmental 
management of transmission line easements 



EPA Collaborative Science and Technology 
Network for Sustainability 

EPA grants program for environmental protection 
approaches that are systems-oriented, forward- 
looking and preventative 



CERES (Coalition for Environmentally 

Responsible Economies) 

Supports and encourages industry and private 
sector businesses to embrace corporate-level, 
voluntary social and sustainable programs 


\ 

NICE (Northeast International Committee on 
Energy) 

Conferences, coalitions on energy production 
through electric restructuring, natural gas 
development, and resource and infrastructure 
development 

/ 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 


106 











K. Thornton 


Recommendation'. It was recommended by the 
Group that a Case Study or Demonstration ! 
Project approach be used to investigate ! 

the effects of an aging population on the ! 
environment. 

It was suggested that additional case studies 
and demonstration projects be sought in 
other areas, such as the Great Lakes. A 
Great Lakes study would not only provide 
a northern contrast for the southern SEQL 
study, but also incorporate international 
considerations. East-West Case Studies or 
Demonstration Projects should also be 
sought. Two different types of communities 
should be considered—new developments 
and existing communities with built 
infrastructure. The key is to document 
the process used in conducting the Case 
Studies or Demonstration Projects so the 
process can be transferred to other regions 
or studies. Each area will have its own 
unique characteristics, but the process for 
investigating environmental effects should 
be similar regardless of the region. Each 
of these Case Studies or Demonstration 
Projects should be viewed as laboratories 
for partnerships. 

Recommendation'. The process used in each Case 
Study or Demonstration Project should be 
documented so the process can be transferred 
to other areas or regions with similar issues. 

These Case Studies or Demonstration 
Projects should assess not just the current 
stressors and vulnerabilities of ecological 
systems, but should also assess future 
vulnerabilities. One option might be 
to assume that policies important to an 
aging population, such as affordable 
prescription drugs or universal access to 
natural amenities, will be promulgated 
and assess the environmental impacts of 
these policies. Other options might be 


to evaluate the potential environmental 
impacts of wellness programs that sustain 
the activities of active adults, greater 
mobility, greater use of natural areas, more 
golf courses, etc. within existing, built 

communities, and new developments. 

* ********************************* 

• • 

! Recommendation: Alternative futures analyses \ 

\ and future vulnerability analyses should \ 

’ accompany the assessment of current * 

• vulnerabilities. 


4. Economics and Integrated Studies 

A key aspect of all studies is to integrate 
the economic costs and benefits of the 
environmental impacts and management 
actions. One potential approach for 
assessing economic costs and benefits 
would be to conduct a business model 
analysis of each of these communities— 
new development and existing infrastruc¬ 
ture. This would provide a link between 
environmental and economic costs and 
benefits, and contribute a cost-effective 
evaluation of proposed technology, regula¬ 
tions, policies, and laws. It would provide 
documentation that green technology 
is both cost-effective and profitable for 
developers and planners. This could be 
accomplished by developing partnerships 
with the private sector or institutions such 
as the National Association of Home 
Builders or Urban Land Institute, who 
would have the information and expertise 
to conduct these business model assess¬ 
ments. 

In addition, the effects of existing regula¬ 
tions, policies, ordinances, zoning, etc. 
should be evaluated to assess their relative 
contribution to promoting sprawl. For 
example, some zoning ordinances and 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


107 












Summary: Focal Area Breakout Group B 


covenants require no more than three 
homes per acre and 30% green space 
within communities. The EPA Smart 
Growth Program has begun to investigate 
the contribution of federal, state, and local 
policies and regulations to urban sprawl. 

Recommendation'. A business model analysis 
should be considered to establish economic- • 
environmental linkages and document the 
cost-effectiveness and profitability of various 
green technologies. These analyses might * 

also consider the contribution of regulations I 

and policies to urban sprawl and assess the I 
cost-effectiveness of alternative policies I 

recommended by the EPA Smart Growth ! 

Program. \ 


5. Partnerships and Facilitation 

It was recognized that facilitating the 
process will be a critical aspect of the Case 
Studies or Demonstration Projects. A 
partnership among EPA ORD, Regional 
Offices, and NGOs could significantly 
enhance this facilitation process. The EPA 
Regions work directly with the States and 
NGOs, and could facilitate the process of 
gathering the needed information and 
identifying the appropriate stakeholders, 
as well as contribute insight on specific 
social issues of concern. ORD can develop 
the appropriate tools and procedures, 
and document the process. The Regions 
can help facilitate the process and 
move toward implementation of the 
tools, procedures, and management 
practices, as well as contribute directly to 
the usability of these tools, procedures, 
and practices. Partnerships within EPA 
are the first step, but there are existing 
vehicles for improving communication 
and interaction among stakeholders. Most 
active adult lifestyle communities have a 
community association or property owners 


association that has a newsletter, periodic 
meetings, and networks established within 
the community. Partnering with these 
organizations and similar NGOs, such as 
watershed associations, can help facilitate 
communication and contributions. These 
partnerships should be pursued as part of 
the Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology 
and Environmental Quality research 
program. 

Recommendation: ORD should enter into 
a partnership with EPA Regions for each 
. Case Study/Demonstration Project, with 
the Regions facilitating the interaction 
and communication with stakeholders, 
contributing to the development of the 
process, and initiating the implementation of 
appropriate policies and management actions 
emerging from the process. 


108 Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 













Wayne Munns (Facilitator) 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 


Effects of Aging Americans on Natural 
Resources and Environmental Quality 

Charge and Approach 

Focal Area Group C considered die ecological 
effects that aging Americans may have 
on natural resources and environmental 
quality. .More specifically, Focal Area Group 
C was asked to identify existing information, 
and gaps in that information relative to 
understanding the effects of an aging 
population, the associated changes in land-use 
patterns and environmental stressors on the 
environment, and what this means relative to 
critically needed research. Specific questions 
addressed included: 

• Is there specific information to predict 
the environmental effects of changing 
land-use and demands for social, 
environmental and infrastructural 
amenities by different segments of 
the aging population? If not, what 
information is missing and how can we 
capture it? Where is the information 
that does exist? 

• What do we know about the 
environmental effects of land-use and 
stressors relative to the lifestyles of an 
aging population? 

• What research is critically needed 
to develop a more complete 
understanding of environmental effects 


of aging population-related land-use 
and environmental stressors? 

• What built-community planning 
practices can be applied to minimize 
environmental stressors and enhance 
the quality of life for different segments 
of the aging population? 

In the context of the simplified risk 
paradigm (see Figure 1- top row, following 
page), ecological effects are considered 
to be the changes in natural resource and 
environmental condition that result from 
exposure to stressors generated or modified 
by the aging population. Examples of such 
effects might include impacts on aquatic life 
and wildlife due to changes in water quality 
and quantity, impacts on native wildlife clue 
to altered habitats, or modification of the 
aesthetic quality of landscapes. To facilitate 
understanding of the relationships among 
sources, stressors and effects associated with 
the aging population, the Group considered 
a simple conceptual model that helped us 
visualize how the expected increase in active 
older Americans could affect the quality 
of surface waters (Figure 1 - bottom row). 

In this conceptualization, new retirement 
communities, perhaps built in the arid 
southwest, are considered to be potential 
sources of a variety of environmental stressors. 
In particular, chemicals associated with 
lawn care products (pesticides, fertilizers) 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 109 





Summary: Focal Area Breakout Group C 


might be expected to increase in surface 
waters relative to background levels as 
these products are applied to golf courses 
associated with retirement communities. Such 
changes in stressor (chemical and nutrient) 
concentrations might result in the adverse 
ecological effects of aquatic organism toxicity 
or eutrophication,. This conceptualization 
helped us focus discussion on potential 
ecological effects, and clarified informational 
needs relative to the sources and stressors 
components of the risk paradigm. 


helped the group to explore the types and 
levels of effects that might result from relative 
extremes in the behaviors and lifestyles of the 
aging population. 

Lifestyle Issues and 

Stressors Unique to the Aging Cohort 

With an expanded appreciation of the 
term "effects" and the categorization of 
lifestyle as background, Focal Group C 
approached its charge by first trying to 
identify lifestyle issues that are at least 



Figure 1. Simplified risk paradigm (top) and conceptual model (bottom) relating aging-related 
sources and stressors to ecological effects. Group C focused on potential ecological effects of aging 
population-related stressors. 


To help structure the deliberations, we initially 
considered two broad segments of aging 
Americans: the "young-old"—individuals 
who remain active and perhaps relocate 
to retirement communities which are 
typically located in geographic areas with 
greater natural amenities (e.g., "gateway 
communities" near National/State Parks 
and Forests) and cultural amenities (e.g., 
college towns), and the "old-old"—less active 
people choosing to (or with no option but to) 
remain in their current communities. While 
recognizing the potential dangers associated 
with the crudeness of this distinction, it 


somewhat unique to the aging population. 
Many of the environmental effects 
potentially associated with the increasing 
aging demographic might simply be 
functions of increasing numbers of people 
in the general population. That is, the 
growing total American population in and 
of itself will create increasing demands for 
resources, expanding uses of landscapes, 
and so on. Delineation of effects related 
to increases in the cohort of aging 
Americans from those associated with 
the general phenomenon of increased 
total population size helped to sharpen 


110 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 













W. Munns 


our focus on issues specific to the aging 
population. Recognizing that the other 
Focal Area Groups were charged more 
specifically with understanding sources 
and stressors, Focal Group C brainstormed 
aging-related lifestyle issues with some 
consideration of variation among lifestyle 
segments (Table 1). Examples of these 
include differences in the types and 
patterns of use of pharmaceuticals, 
differences in mobility and access 
requirements and transportation needs 
(e.g., more sidewalks), and potential 
increases in energy use (heating, outdoor 
lighting) associated with comfort choices. 
The Group used this understanding to 
identify the changes in waste streams and 
environmental stressors that might be 
attributed to aging Americans (Table 1 on 
page 112). 

After much discussion, the Group 
concluded that almost all considerations 
about stressors associated with these 
lifestyle issues reflect changes in 
magnitude and quantity—the aging 
cohort likely will introduce few stressors 
uniquely. There may be, however, some 
exceptions to this. For example, aging 
Americans are expected to use different 
types of pharmaceutical products, perhaps 
in different combinations, than those 
used by the general population at large. 
This may result in novel chemicals or 
combinations of chemicals in aquatic waste 
streams, with unknown resulting effects. 
Older Americans likely also would utilize 
different consumer goods in differing 
quantities compared to that of the general 
population. This use would result in 
somewhat unique stressors entering the 
waste stream, including durable (e.g., 
walkers, canes, wheelchairs) and non¬ 


durable (e.g., incontinence garments, 
hearing aide batteries) medical goods. 
Many communities may not be prepared 
for such changes in their waste streams, 
or for the increased demand for ancillary 
services (transportation, health care, etc.) 
imposed by increases in the aging cohort. 
Additionally, for young-old Americans, 
increases in disposable income and 
flexibility with respect to housing location 
relative to historic job centers may result in 
increasing development pressures in areas 
previously unutilized (e.g., the rural west).- 
Even in these cases, however, the Group 
was hard-pressed to identify stressors that 
are truly unique to the aging cohort. 

Despite this apparent lack of unique 
stressors, natural resource use and the 
waste streams generated by the aging 
population may overwhelm the ability 
of ecological systems to compensate for 
or assimilate changes in stressor levels. 

% Group C discussed the concept of "tipping 
points"—thresholds in stressor levels 
or ecological effects beyond which the 
ecological systems change state—and the 
possibility that release rates, magnitudes . 
or quantities of aging-related stressors 
may exceed these thresholds. Although 
the concept of "tipping points" is 
straightforward to grasp, identifying their 
existence and importance as related 
to aging-related stressors may add a 
challenging new dimension to the research 
needed to understand the ecological 
effects of the aging population. 

Not all lifestyle issues necessarily would 
result in increased environmental stress and 
pressures.on natural resources. For example, 
the Group considered the possibility that 
differences in the environmental ethic of 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


111 




Summary: Focal Area Breakout Group C 


Table 1. Lifestyle issues and stressors associated with the aging population. 


r 

Lifestyle Issue 

Relevant Aging Segment 

----v 

Potential Stressors 

Pharmaceutical types 
and use patterns 

Both young-old and old-old 

Unique chemicals, including 
potential endocrine disruptors, in 
increased amounts and different 
combinations in waste water streams 

Land development patterns 

Young-old 

Altered habitats; disruption of 
migration corridors; changes in 
water quality and quantity 

Built environment in-fill 

Old-old 

Increased sprawl; exacerbation of 
"urban heat island" phenomenon 

Mobility and access amenities; 
transportation infrastructure 

Both young-old and old-old 

Increased sprawl due to single-level 
housing; more sidewalks leading to 
more impervious surface; increased 
roadways leading to habitat fragment¬ 
ation and road runoff; increased 
amounts of transportation-related 
chemicals (e.g., golf cart battery 
chemicals) in waste streams 

Durable and non-durable 
medical goods usage 

Both young-old and old-old 

Increased bulk of durable and non¬ 
durable products in landfills (e.g., 
batteries, eye glasses, walkers, 
wheelchairs, canes, adult 
incontinence garments); increased 
amounts of uncommon metals (e.g., 
titanium, mercury from batteries) in 
waste streams; stressors associated 
with resource extraction and 
manufacturing 

Health service usage 

Both young-old and old-old 

Increased land development (e.g., 
new health care facilities); 
increased amounts of non-durable 
medical goods in waste streams 

Increased disposable 
income 

Young-old 

Increased stressors associated with 
recreational patterns and demands 
on environment (e.g., land use 
disruptions, golf course chemicals) 

Energy use related to 
comfort choices 

L_ 

Both young-old and old-old - 

Increased use of resources related 
to energy use; light pollution in 
newly developed areas 


112 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 






















W. Munns 


aging Americans (particularly the young-old) 
relative to the population at-large might even 
result in a net benefit to the environment. 
Building from the belief structures and 
examples described during the plenary 
presentations, it may be reasonable to assume 
that portions of the aging population would 
act individually and collectively to minimize 
environmental impacts or even enhance 
environmental quality, at least in their local 
communities. Increased volunteerism and 
elective changes in consumer patterns may 
result in environmental legacies that are 
positive relative to those of other age groups 
in the general population; 

Existing Information and Research Needs for 
Understanding Ecological Effects 

Focal Area Group B next focused on 
ecological effects likely produced by lifestyle- 
related stressors. The time available did not 
allow comprehensive deliberation of all 
possible direct and indirect effects, and it 
was acknowledged that our list of stressors 
might be incomplete relative to the outcome 
of Focal Area Group B’s discussion. We also 
acknowledged that effects associated with 
many of the lifestyle characteristics of the 
young-old segment shared commonalities with 
those of new community development and 
sprawl in general, but that effects associated 
with the old-old (aging-in-place) segment 
would be much more challenging to elucidate. 

This discussion was facilitated by completion 
of matrices or tables that relate selected 
lifestyle issues, through their associated 
stressors, to possible ecological effects. This 
structure also supported deliberation of 
existing information and the research needed 
specifically to fill gaps in our understanding. 

In describing research needs, we avoided 
defining the specific approaches that should 


be taken, considering this more appropriately 
to be a task undertaken by Agency research 
planners (but see below). Further, our analysis 
would benefit from more comprehensive 
considerations of the lifestyle issues, stressors 
and possible ecological effects related to the 
aging population issue. The results of this 
exercise are given in Table 2. • 

Although Table 2 is self-explanatory, 
working through one of the "rows" might 
be instructional. For the pharmaceutical 
types and use patterns lifestyle issue, primary 
stressors were considered to be biologically- 
active chemicals in surface and drinking 
water. A variety of ecological effects could 
result from exposure to these chemicals, given 
sufficient concentrations or combinations, 
including changes in the productivity and 
health of aquatic life and wildlife. For 
example, exposure to endocrine disrupting 
chemicals might alter hormonal processes in 
individual fish, affecting rates of development 
and reproduction. When sufficiently severe, 
such effects may impact the dynamics of the 
exposed population (s), changes which could 
cascade through food webs such that the 
chemicals cause indirect effects on aquatic 
community structure and function. Key gaps 
in our understanding were identified relative 
to the types and quantities of chemicals 
entering wastewater streams, the effectiveness 
of wastewater treatment in removing or 
reducing chemical concentrations, and 
exposure-response relationships among those 
chemicals and relevant biological responses. 

In risk language, the first two of these gaps 
are issues of exposure, whereas the last is 
one of ecological effects. Finally,'the first- 
order research needed to fill these gaps is 
characterization of waste streams before 
and after treatment, and quantification of 
exposure-response relations for key biological 
and ecological responses. 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


113 




Summary: Focal Area Breakout Group C 


114 


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Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 115 
















Summary: Focal Area Breakout Group C 


Following completion of Table 2, the Group 
developed a common sense of priorities of 
research needs. Two factors were considered 
relative to priority: 1) the perceived 
importance of the ecological effect relative 
to the overall issue of the increasing aging 
population, and 2) the degree to which the 
research would fill a critical knowledge gap. 
The results of this prioritization are reflected 
in the order of lifestyle issues given in Table 2. 

Over the course of our discussions, certain 
generic projects or approaches were 
identified that might be particular effective 
for filling key knowledge gaps in application 
of the simplified risk paradigm. Specifically, 
valuable information about resource and 
environmental uses by aging Americans 
could be obtained through a "market 
basket" analysis of purchased products 
and environmental amenity use. Such an 
analysis might also contribute information 
about the waste streams and stressors 
generated by individuals and communities. 
Latitudinal comparisons, both between elder 
communities (say, in Florida or the west) and 
those of the general population, and among 
societies with differing demographics (say, 
between the U.S. and Sweden, where the 
aging phenomenon is being realized today), 
could provide insights into differences in 
resource use and environmental impacts that 
would further define these issues for the aging 
population. Additionally, such comparisons 
might facilitate identification of approaches . 
taken by other groups and societies to 
ameliorate the adverse effects of shifting 
demographics. Finally, various ecological 
footprint analyses of elder communities and 
even individual seniors, when compared with 
the results of similar analyses for communities 
from the general population and different age 


groups, could be instructive about resource 
needs and usage. 

Coda 

In final analysis, the ecological effects of the 
aging population may not be completely 
separable from those associated with increases 
in the size of the general population. Yet, 
patterns of resource use and the magnitudes 
and combinations of certain aging-related 
stressors may present novel challenges with 
respect to our ability to forecast those effects. 
Through a structured analysis of lifestyle 
issues, stressors and ecological effects, Focal 
Area Group C identified some key areas 
of research needed to enhance ability to 
assess risks associated with the aging of 
America. This information will help to inform 
development of EPA's ecological effects 
research agenda. . 

Two important insights emerged (or 
rather, re-emerged) over the course of our 
deliberations. The first was the confirmation 
that complex issues such as this one are best 
approached through interactive consideration 
of all aspects of the risk assessment/risk 
management process. We struggled a fair 
amount with, and put substantial time into, 
consideration of the stressors expected to be 
associated with aging population. Further, 
largely missing from our discussion was 
identification of the specific actions that could 
be taken to prevent or mitigate the effects 
associated with the aging population, although 
the results of the research identified here 
will help to provide additional knowledge 
about the effectiveness of such actions. A 
more interactive dialogue addressing all parts 
of the process, and involving a broad range 


116 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 




W. Munns 


of partners, collaborators and stakeholders, 
likely would have yielded more comprehensive 
understanding. 

The second insight was that aging Americans 
are very diverse with respect to lifestyles, - 
cultural perspectives, arid health status 
and susceptibility. Categorization of the 
aging cohort into young-old and old-old 
segments conveniently facilitated parts of the 
deliberation, but we recognized that such a 
scheme may miss the richness reflected in 
older Americans. Although we can continue 
to treat this richness as an "uncertainty," our 
understanding of the. ecological effects of the 
aging population on natural resources and 
environmental quality will ultimately suffer 
from lack of consideration of the underlying 
diversity of aging Americans: 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 





HHfH 

■ 


. 


Summary: Interactions/Linkages Breakout Group 1 





Mary Holland (Facilitator) 
Perot Systems Government Services 


Interactions/Linkages Group 1 volunteers 
from the three Focal Area Breakout Groups 
summarized their prior breakout group’s 
discussion for Interactions/Linkages Group 
1 Colleagues. The Group then discussed 
interactions and linkages among the themes 
discussed by Focal Area Groups A, B and C. 

Discussion 

Interactions/Linkages Group 1 was inspired 
by the work that Focal Area Group C had 
done already to make linkages from sources 
of environmental stress to exposure to effects 
(Group C’s initial charge). Focal Area Group 
C had found it difficult to discuss effects 
without backing into what unique (compared 
to the general population) sources of stress 
might be introduced by older adults. Focal 
Area Group C developed a matrix laying out 
the simplified risk paradigm and prioritized its 
findings (see Summary: Focal Area Breakout 
Group C). Interactions/Linkages Group . 

1 endorsed Focal Area Group C’s linkage 
discussion/work and recommended that EPA 
should work with a multi-disciplinary group to 
review and add details to Focal Area Group C’s 
matrix framework. 

Visualization was discussed as a tool to 
add depth to Understanding the matrix 
framework. For example, illustrations could 
help bring to life and communicate the 


potential pathways of effects. EPA could 
look at, for example, pharmaceuticals, in 
conjunction with the migration of older 
adults to Florida, in conjunction with a fragile 
ecosystem. Another tool that can add depth 
to understanding the pathway of effects is case 
studies. Florida could be a fertile ground for 
case studies. One possible research model 
for investigating the ecological effects of 
the aging population’s pharmaceutical use 
and disposal is the approach to studying the 
ecological effects of CAFOs—concentrated 
animal feeding operations—by estimating 
loading of pollutants and their consequent 
concentrations in various media and 
predicting their effects. 

Interactions/Linkages Group 1 discussed the 
potential water, soil, and air quality effects of 
burials—presumably at higher demand among 
an aging population. Different cultural and 
religious practices may have varying impacts. 
Japan was cited as an example where land is 
scarce, so cremation has become a common 
practice there compared to the U.S., where 
related air quality and ash disposal concerns, 
in addition to cultural practices, may make 
widespread cremation less viable. The Group 
listed a few approaches that may mitigate 
potential land burial effects, but would require 
further evaluation to assess their overall 
environmental and social impact. Those 
approaches include: development of a land- 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 119 






Summary: Interactions/Linkages Breakout Group 1 


sustaining burial industry; green cemeteries; 
and reef creation from burials at sea. 

The Group discussed whether all the 
potentially affected parties, including the 
aging population itself, really understand 
the implications of the actions of an aging 
U.S. population. The Group wondered if 
communities were aware of and ready to 
manage the impacts of in-migration trends? 
Florida was noted as a state that wants that 
aging population and is actively marketing to 
attract seniors. Redistribution often disrupts 
and replaces the existing population (e.g., 
local fishermen in coastal communities live 
elsewhere due to escalating coastal living costs 
and so travel further to sell their catch). On 
the other hand, service demands may create 
more jobs. 

Interactions/Linkages Group 1 talked 
about ways to communicate with older 
adults about the resource impacts caused 
by retirement communities. The concept 
of developing decision-support tools to 
assist with considering and balancing 
lifestyle choices to lessen environmental 
effects was endorsed. Factors that could be 
considered include amenities for different 
retirement living circumstances (e.g., walking 
opportunities may lead to reduced car use). 
The Group suggested augmenting existing 
decision-support tools with environmental 
considerations for everyone, not just for older 
people. The success of decision-support tools 
requires education to understand their value 
and learn how to use them. 

The group also endorsed the notion that 
volunteerism and environmental stewardship 
embraced by older adults could have positive 
environmental effects. 


Group 1 underscored two key themes: 

• As EPA pursues research to 
better understand the impact of 
aging Americans on ecology and 
environmental quality, it should 
use multi-disciplinary teams (grant 
preference to consortiums),. 
comprising: 

• Gerontologists 

• Demographers ' 

• Economists 

• Sociologists 

• Planners 

• Geographers 

• Ecologists 

• Architects 

• Citizen-stakeholders 

• Many things that are good for the 
aging population are good for other 
groups; we should embrace a new 
motto/ paradigm— Lifelong Quality of 

. Life. An added benefit to this approach 
is getting around the aversion of some 
aging Americans to identifying with the 
label—“aging.” 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 i Research Triangle Park, NC 


120 





Summary: Interactions/Linkages Breakout Group 2 



Kent Thornton (Facilitator) 

FTN Associates 


The discussion focused primarily on the 
conclusions reached in Focal Area Breakout 
Groups. Following these conclusions, 
Interactions/Linkages Group 2 identified 
five questions that will need to be addressed 
through research. 

1. What stressors are 
specific to an aging population? 

The Effects Group (Focal Area Breakout 
Group C) had identified some stressors that 
might be specific to an aging population, but 
in many instances, the stressors associated with 
an aging population are similar to those of 
any other population cohort. The desire for 
natural environmental amenities, while not 
unique to an aging population, can result in 
the development of active adult communities 
in fragile environments that are particularly 
susceptible to human activities. Studying 
aging adults provides information germane 
to other population cohorts and increases 
our understanding of human activity- 
environmental linkages. 

2. What proportion of stressors are 
contributed by an aging population? 

If many of the stressors are similar for an aging 
population as compared to other population 
cohorts, how important is it to understand the 
contribution from this particular population 
segment? In many cases, it is the relative 
magnitude of a growing adult population that 


is needed to assess the potential effects of an 
aging population on the environment. The 
proportion of the aging adult population is 
expected to double by 2030. One question is 
whether the relative contribution of stressors 
and effects will reflect this population 
trend. To understand these differences, it is 
important to assess the relative contribution 
from an aging population. In addition, one 
of the needs of social marketing or other 
intervention approaches to reduce these 
stressors is an understanding of the relative 
contribution of a particular population 
segment. Different intervention approaches 
will be used for different population segments, 
such as teenagers, young adults, or active 
adults. 

3. What effects are specific 
to an aging population? 

Group C had discussed this question 
extensively and identified a few effects that 
might be specific to an aging population (see 
Summary: Focal Area Breakout Group C). 

In general, Group C thought the effects of 
an aging population were indistinguishable 
from those of other population cohorts. For 
example, the effects of development of active 
adult communities are associated more with 
development than with an aging population. 
Many active adult communities are similarly 
designed and it might be possible to more 
readily modify these designs if cost-effective, 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 121 



Summary: Interactions/Linkages Breakout Group 2 


environmentally friendly development 
alternatives were identified and demonstrated. 
Designing these alternatives requires an 
understanding of the environmental effects 
from this population segment. 

4. What is the value of 
information on this issue? 

If the stressors and effects associated with 
an aging population are similar to those 
from other population cohorts, what is 
the value of information on one specific 
cohort? In general, most of the information 
on the effects of various stressors has been 
assessed independent of any consideration of 
population segment or cohort. If this research 
is to complement the human health research, 
it will be important to understand not only 
the effects of the environment on a particular 
sentinel or susceptible population cohort, 
but also the effects of that sentinel cohort 
on the environment. In most instances, we 
are not able to answer this question because 
we have not factored demographics into 
our analyses. Focusing on the active adult 
population segments permits the development 
of approaches and methods useful in 
partitioning the effects of other population 
cohorts on the environment. 


5. How will economics interface with these 
effects as money is transferred from income 
generation to asset management? 

One of the differences between aging adult 
populations and other population segments 
that was stated at the workshop is the transfer 
from income generation to asset management 
after retirement. We have little insight or 
information on what the consequences for 
environmental conservation, stewardship, 
or restoration are from this economic 
transition. Emphasis on an aging population 
provides an opportunity to develop not only 
linkages between economics and ecology, 
but also between ecology and societal beliefs 
and values and how these linkages affect 
environment management and policy. 


122 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 




Summary: Interactions/Linkages Breakout Group 3 



Wayne Munns (Facilitator) 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 


The original Focal Area Breakout Groups 
focused individually upon the separate 
components of the simplified risk paradigm— 
sources, stressors and ecological effects. As 
recognized in those earlier discussions, a 
more interactive and comprehensive dialogue 
involving all aspects of the risk assessment/ 
risk management process is necessary to 
appreciate the interactions and linkages 
among its various components. Understanding 
these linkages may be critical to identifying 
the research needed to prepare the Nation for 
the aging population. 

Interactions/Linkages Group 3 initiated 
dialogue by reviewing both the charge for the 
session and the results of the deliberations 
of the earlier focal area groups. The ensuing 
discussion emphasized the importance of 
framing the aging Americans issue with the 
broadest of perspectives, and reaffirmed 
the desirability to involve a number of • 
disciplines in that effort. In addition to 
ecologists, health scientists and environmental 
decision-makers, representatives of the social 
sciences, economists, community planners 
and others will need to contribute to the 
process. Interactions/Linkages Group 3 
also acknowledged the value of considering 
prevention and mitigation of potential 
ecological impacts in thinking through the 
problem. 


Our deliberations highlighted the importance 
of recognizing the diversity of lifestyles, and 
requirements for social, health, transportation 
and environmental amenities of Ajmericans in 
the aging population. Although simplifying 
generalizations might help research planners 
to frame the issues broadly, clarifying the full 
array of potential ecological effects likely will 
require that this diversity be acknowledged 
explicitly. Given the scope of this issue, and 
the expertise generally available to EPA, the 
Group felt that collaboration with external 
partners will be needed to support further 
research planning exercises. 

Also acknowledged were the nuances 
associated with spatial aspects of the problem. 
Regional and local differences in demography, 
migration patterns, social values, existing 
infrastructure and even the background of 
resource availability and condition, all will 
influence how stressors associated with the 
aging population might affect environmental 
quality. Thus, knowledge of national trends 
likely will be insufficient to inform the process 
of understanding potential local effects, 
and therefore identification of outstanding 
research needs. In many cases, a national 
perspective may even be misleading. This 
suggests an important linkage issue to be the 
interactions among sources, stressors and 
potential ecological effects across spatial scale. 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 123 



Summary: Interactions/Linkages Breakout Group 3 


While identifying few new research needs 
emerging from interactions/Linkages among 
sources, stressors and effects, the discussion 
in Group 3 did clarify the importance 
of understanding the factors that affect 
individual decisions to change lifestyle 
and living arrangements. Such choices 
determine migration patterns, influence 
future requirements for both existing and new 
infrastructure, and affect local waste streams, 
thereby affecting the nature and likelihood 
of ecological effects. Substantial research may 
be needed to resolve these factors to a level 
sufficient to support prediction of future 
trends in the lifestyles of aging Americans. 



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Wayne Munns 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 


Additional issues and suggestions were offered 
during the peer review of the draft workshop 
proceedings, sparked by the issue-defining 
papers and the reports of the breakout 
groups. Although some of these fell outside 
the intended scope of the workshop, many 
provided further insights and emphasized 
specific research needs. These are summarized 
following the organizational structure of the 
workshop to provide additional input to the 
Agency’s research planning process. This 
section concludes with a brief description 
of how the Agency will use the information 
communicated in this report to develop its 
ecological research program to help prepare 
the Nation for the environmental effects of an 
aging American population. 

Additional Issues and Research Needs 

Demographic and Lifestyle Patterns 

Patterns of movement by older Americans 
and descriptions of their lifestyles may 
be more complicated than the “old- 
old” and “young-old” dichotomy used 
to structure parts of the workshop 
deliberations. Evidence suggests that 
most moves by elders are local, with up to 
75% of relocations occurring within the 
same county or state. Proximity of family, 
familiar neighborhoods and convenient 
services such as transportation, shopping 
and medical centers, city centers and 


inner suburbs can be attractive features for 
many older Americans regardless of their 
level of activity. The importance of these 
attractions, and the prevalence of “reverse 
migration” (in which older Americans 
leave active retirement communities to 
“return home”), need to be understood to 
predict future demographic and lifestyle 
patterns. 

Another factor potentially influencing 
the residential choices of elders is, 
ironically, the aging of the Nation’s 
built environment. Failure to reuse and 
renovate buildings, redevelop brownfields 
and modernize urban infrastructure will 
greatly decrease the ability of older urban 
and suburban centers to entice or absorb 
relocating seniors. Deficiencies in the 
ability of existing cities to provide the 
housing and amenities demanded by aging 
Americans could influence future patterns 
of migration profoundly. An evaluation 
of trends expected in urban decay and 
revitalization, perhaps characterized 
by region of the country, would inform 
predictions of migration patterns of older 
adults. 

As a final issue relevant to demographic 
and lifestyle patterns, assumptions made 
in the workshop about what elders value, 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 125 



Post Workshop Considerations for Research and New Directions 


and the amenities they seek, requires 
substantiation. For example, alternative 
practices of health care and medicine 
may become more attractive as elders 
experience new ailments associated with 
aging. Access to such amenities may be 
limited in smaller (or perhaps newer) 
communities, influencing decisions about 
where to live. Additional information will 
be needed to enhance understanding of 
the cultural, social, economic and other 
factors that influence the lifestyle choices 
made by older Americans. 

Changing Land-use and Environmental 
Stressors 

Recent evidence suggests retirees are 
seeking self-employment and volunteer 
opportunities with a trend away from 
new development, frontier development 
and urban sprawl. Actions taken to slow 
rates of new development and its impacts 
(e.g., smart designs) may not be effective 
in the long run, as land-use change and 
its damaging effects are only slowed. 
Forward-looking revitalization strategies 
for urban and suburban landscapes that 
focus on adaptive reuse and brownfield 
redevelopment may be better options 
for providing the housing capacity and 
amenities required by the increasing 
aging population. The associated 
socioeconomic revitalization, based on 
restoring natural, built and cultural assets, 
could lead to increased capacities and 
quality of life in existing communities, 
as well as renewal of their natural 
resources. Although these issues likely 
are not unique to an aging population, 
research may be needed to support 
development of strategies for renewing 
capacities of developed landscapes and 
restoring the natural resources damaged 


by past activity. Research is also needed 
to evaluate changes in land-use and 
environmental stressors associated with 
different options of redevelopment. 
Workshop discussions identified the 
pharmaceutical uses of older adults as 
potentially important environmental 
stressors. Certain chemicals (perhaps in 
new combinations) likely will enter surface 
waters and groundwater at increasing rates 
near retirement communities and centers 
of residence by elders. Closed water 
treatment and supply systems may provide 
an engineering solution to help control 
the introduction of pharmaceuticals to the 
environmental. Consistent with a theme 
of restoration and reconstruction, piloting 
and testing of closed systems in smaller 
retirement communities could inform the 
engineering research needed to develop 
such systems for larger communities. 

In addition to the increased environmental 
loading of certain pharmaceuticals posited 
during the workshop, a chemical stressor 
associated somewhat uniquely with older 
Americans is the mercury found in oldstyle 
amalgam fillings. Cremation may release 
this mercury into the air, potentially 
exposing wildlife as well as humans in 
communities with large elder populations. 
Research to evaluate this exposure pathway 
as a significant incremental source of 
ecological risk might focus in areas like the 
State of Florida, which is expected to have 
a large proportion of older Americans and 
has an ongoing concern about elevated 
environmental mercury concentrations. 
Similarly, increased numbers of crema¬ 
tions and the added pressure for cemetery 
space may impact air quality and land-use 
negatively. 


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W. Munns 


Effects on Natural Resources and 
Environmental Quality 

The effects of low concentrations (parts 
per trillion) of some pharmaceuticals, such 
as statin drugs, on aquatic organisms are 
virtually unknown. In addition to their 
possible endocrine disrupting effects, 
exposure to these chemicals may produce 
a variety of chronic effects heretofore 
unknown. This emphasizes the need 
to develop better understanding of the 
mechanisms of action and resulting 
ecological effects of pharmaceuticals used 
by older Americans. Again, Florida, which 
has indicated it welcomes such research, 
and other states and regions with high 
densities of older Americans may provide 
good opportunities for case studies and 
focused research. 

Stressor-response models and relationships 
were identified as important research 
needs during the workshop. Most often, 
these needs were couched in terms of 
specific stressors and key-ecological 
responses. More broadly, however, there 
may be predictive and diagnostic value in 
stressor-response relationships constructed 
of aggregate measures of stress, relating 
the intensity of human land-use to adverse 
ecological effects. Aggregate measures 
like the Landscape-Development Intensity 
Index of Brown and Vivas (2004) might 
be useful in this regard. Quantitative 
descriptions of such relationships could 
be used to support development of 
mechanisms, models and policies for 
implementing changes that will prevent or 
mitigate the effects of stressors associated 
with the aging population. It has also been 
suggested that the Revitalization Institute 
may be a source of integrated revitalization 
strategies to increase capacity and quality 


of life in existing communities, as well as 
renewing natural resources. 

As a final note, not all ecological effects 
associated with the aging population are 
expected to be adverse. The apparent 
willingness of (at least some fraction 
of) retirees to contribute to urban 
revitalization through self-employment and 
voluntary service, when combined with 
an increased demand for urban centers, 
might be harnessed to effect future 
redevelopment of urban brownfields and 
greyfields that results in a positive effect 
on urban environmental quality. Similar 
volunteerism and stewardship by elders 
in new and developing communities may 
help both to minimize and mitigate the 
patterns of adverse effects of the aging 
population on natural resources and 
environmental quality. 

Next Steps 

As described in the Introduction, the issues, 
information and research needs illuminated 
by the Workshop are intended to inform 
the Agency about the ecological research 
needed to help prepare the Nation for the 
aging of the American population. These 
proceedings will be delivered to EPA’s ORD 
to support focused discussions of research 
goals, priorities, approaches, measures of 
performance and workforce and resource 
needs. Planning activities will cross-walk the 
Agency’s research capabilities and capacities 
with the priority science-based needs to 
identify the most significant contributions 
EPA can make with our intramural 
workforce. This planning also will support 
communication of research needs to our 
partners and collaborators, and may be used 
to develop grant solicitations. Similar planning 
exercises have been completed for research 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


127 




Post Workshop Considerations for Research and New Directions 


supporting understanding of the effects of 
the environmental on the health of aging 
Americans. 


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Synthesis 



Kent Thornton 

FTN Associates 


BACKGROUND • Almost half (49%) indicate they plan to 

devote more time to community service 
Three drivers of environmental effects are: or volunteer activities after retirement. 

• Population Change However, they also expect these activities 

• Climate Change to be managed in a professional 

• Natural Disturbance manner, provide meaningful work and 

allow flexible hours. 


This workshop focused on the possible first 
driver; specifically, the impacts from an aging 
population on ecology and environmental 
quality. The overarching message from the . 
workshop speakers and participants was that 
the aging population is a permanent global 
trend, not just a bubble from the aging Baby 
Boomer population in the U.S. Some of the 
characteristics of the aging U.S. population 
are: 

• The number of aging Americans is 
increasing. In 2000, 12.5% were 65 years 
or older. By 2030, 20% of the population 
will be 65 years or older. 

• This aging population is very diverse— 
economically, socially and ethnically. 

• Aging attitudes among Latinos, Asians, 
African Americans, Native Americans, 
and Anglos are very different. 

• This population is re-defining 
retirement, with 80% indicating they 
plan to work at least part-time in 
retirement. 

• This population enjoys and wants 
natural amenities. 


Foundation for a Research Plan 

Three foundational principles emerged from 
presentations and discussion that should 
underlie a research effort to assess the effects 
of an aging population on the environment. 
The research effort must: 

• Be holistic 

• Be integrated 

• Emphasize sustainability 

It must be holistic in assuming that humans 
are part of, not apart from, the environment. 
Human and ecological health are inextricably 
linked and this research effort should 
complement the EPA ORD Human Health 
Initiative of the National Agenda on the 
Environment and the Aging. It must be 
integrated from an ecological risk assessment 
and management perspective, linking 
sources—►stressors—►effects—►management. . 
Finally, it must emphasize sustainability. It 
was suggested the project adopt the Native 
American philosophy of protecting the 
environment for seven generations to come. 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 129 



Synthesis 


--- ; : ; \ 

QUESTION ORIENTATION 

A number of questions were raised during the workshop discussions that can be 
categorized under a set of five general questions the research initiative might consider 
addressing. 

. 1. How big is the problem? (Extent and magnitude) 

What are the relative contributions of an aging population to environmental 
impacts? 

2. Is it getting better or worse? (Trends) 

What are the population trends in different areas of the U.S? 

3. What is causing it? (Causation) 

What factors associated with the aging population are contributing to 
environmental impacts? 

4. What can be done about it? (Management) 

What management practices, policies, ordinances, etc. might be effective in 
controlling these impacts? 

5. Are the management practices making a difference? (Performance Evaluation) 
How effective are these practices in controlling environmental impacts? 


New Paradigms for Assessing and 
Managing Impacts of an Aging 
Population 


media, not single media, therefore, multi- 
media interactions/controls will need to be 
incorporated into management actions. 


The impacts of an aging population will 
potentially affect every societal sector: 


• Housing 

• Land-Use 

• Transportation 

• Safety 

• Water Quality 

• Air Quality 

• Volunteerism 


Parks and Recreation 
Work Force Development 
Public/Private Education 
Waste Generation/Disposal 
Civic Engagement 
Arts and Culture 
Economic Development 


Environmental assessments and management 
practices will need to focus on indirect, 
cascading effects from multiple sources 
and multiple stressors. There is no magic 
bullet or single pathway for controlling and 
managing environmental impacts and risks. 
In addition, the issues are and will be multi- 


New partners and collaborative relationships 
will be needed to address the impacts of an 
aging population. Local, state and federal 
agencies; the private sector; NGOs; and 
stakeholders all need to be included. Greater 
facilitation and coalition-building will be 
required to address future environmental 
issues. 


Ecological Risk Assessment/ 
Management Linkages 

Breakout Groups initially discussed the three 
segments of the ecological risk assessment 
paradigm: Sources, Stressors, and Effects. 
Following these discussions, Focal Area 


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K. Thornton 


Breakout Group A, B and C participants were 
redistributed (so that each letter group was 
represented) among Interactions/Linkages 
Groups 1, 2 and 3 to discuss the linkages and 
interactions among Sources, Stressors, and 
Effects. A preliminary list of research needs 
arising from the workshop is shown in Table 1 
and briefly discussed in this section. 

A. Demographic and Lifestyle Trends 
(Sources) 

The demographic and lifestyle trends 
presented and discussed at the workshop 
focused on two cohorts of aging adults. 
Almost 90% of aging adults stated they did 
not plan to move from their community 
in the future, or if they moved, it would 
be nearby. Thus we have one aging 
population cohort living in existing 
communities with a built infrastructure. 
The other cohort of the aging population 
is interested in moving to active adult 
communities that promote active 
lifestyles. This second cohort of the aging 
population lives in new developments, 
typically in areas with fragile environments. 
Both cohorts wanted to enjoy areas with 
natural amenities. 

Existing Communities, Built Environment 

Given that 50% of the current U.S. 
population lives within 50 miles of the 
ocean or the Great Lakes, we expect that a 
significant portion of the aging population 
(primarily those that do not plan to 
move after retirement) will live in urban, 
suburban and rural areas near the coast. 
These areas are currently experiencing 
environmental impacts from congestion, 
aging or overloaded infrastructure, sea level 
rise, salt-water intrusion, eutrophication 
and similar issues. It will be important to 
determine which coastal areas are currently 
vulnerable, and which areas might become 


vulnerable in the future, to effectively 
manage impacts of the aging population 
(it was suggested during the review process 
that Restore America’s Estuaries is an 
NGO that could help with this research). 
Vulnerable areas would include those with 
natural amenities that have the potential to 
be affected by increased use and universal 
access. 

New Developments 

Retirement migration patterns for that 
segment of the aging population that is 
planning to move, are part of a decreasing 
metropolitan hierarchy pattern. In the 
decreasing metropolitan hierarchy pattern, 
individuals who live in large metropolitan 
urban/suburban areas generally move to 
a similar urban/suburban setting, but in 
smaller metropolitan areas with natural 
amenities. In many instances, particularly in 
the West, desirable retirement destinations 
are near fragile environments (arid or 
montane ecosystems). These retirement 
migration patterns could promote urban 
sprawl in smaller metropolitan areas that 
currently do not have ordinances, policies, 
or regulations to control sprawl. Ironically, 
in some instances, city policies, ordinances, 
or regulations actually promote sprawl and 
inhibit implementing green technology 
(e.g., no more than 3 homes per acre; 30% 
green space). Increased service areas also 
tend to develop around new residential 
developments for retirees, such as facilities 
to care for individuals who require assisted 
living or some other form of permanent 
care. 

General Characteristics of Both 
Communities 

Both aging population cohorts are 
interested in experiencing and accessing 
natural amenities. However, aging adults 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


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Synthesis 


Table 1 . Research Needs to Better Understand the Effects of an Aging Population on the Environment. 


1. Demographic and Lifestyle Trends 
(Sources) 

2. Changing Land-Use 

and Environmental Stressors 

Conduct life cycle assessments of consumption patterns of 
various adult cohorts. 

Conduct targeted, geographic surveys to-identify the factors 
and criteria influencing why individuals migrate and how 
destinations are selected. 

Design targeted, geographic surveys of lifestyle, behavior 
and attitudes, including commonwealth motivation on 
environmental stewardship. 

Compute population demographics and statistics within an 
ecoregional frame. 

Perform Delphi exercise to project future lifestyle trends and 
demographic changes. 

Develop models to predict future aging population migration 
patterns based on socioeconomic attributes to inform social 
marketing for a "Stewardship Legacy." 

Develop a decision support system that integrates various 
personal factors, environmental impacts, and lifestyle 
choices. 

Explore effects of infrastructure issues (e.g., roads, water 
distribution, etc.), air/water quality and similar factors 
affecting choices to stay in place or move. 

Coordinate, complement, and supplement on-going surveys, 
monitoring networks of other agencies, such as CDC, with 
complementary missions. 

Conduct literature reviews on multiple issues and develop 
a matrix to cross-reference issues, scale, information 
sources, models and similar pertinent data. 

Project migration patterns and trends for coastal areas and 
sensitive natural areas. 

Conduct meso-scale (2-3 state area, multiple counties) 
studies of multiple stressors and their interactions as a 
function of different population cohorts. 

Conduct meta-analysis study of local-scale studies to 
identify common sources, stressors and effects of different 
population cohorts on the environment. 

Fund comparative case studies or demonstration projects 
of an aging population in different geographic regions. 

Conduct alternative futures and future vulnerability 
assessments for coastal areas and sensitive natural areas 
expected to experience increased population growth. . 

> 

Use business model analyses to establish economic- 
environmental linkages and document the costs and 
benefits of various green technologies compared to urban 
sprawl. 

Assess the effects of current policies, regulations, and 
' ordinances, particularly those related to land use decisions 
(e.g., zoning, covenants), on environmental quality. 

3. Effects on Natural Resources 
and Environmental Quality 

4. Management 

Considerations 

. Identify and assess which effects on the environment are 
unique to an aging population. 

Assess the effects of increased pharmaceutical use and 
their interaction with other stressors. 

Develop models for predicting and assessing the effects of 
an aging population on the health of aquatic life and 
wildlife. 

Develop procedures for establishing thresholds or “tipping 
points" for ecological effects based on synergistic and 
antagonistic interactions among multiple stressors. 

Emphasize those stressors associated with an aging 
population. 

Compare the ecological footprints of different aging adult 
cohorts, particularly the-"stay-in-place" versus the "mobile." 

Assess the effects of universal access to sensitive or fragile 
environments, particularly habitat alteration, on aquatic life 
and wildlife. 

Assess the effects of pharmaceuticals and durable/non- 
durable medical goods on ecosystem goods and services. 

Conduct sociological studies to identify the mental models 
of environmental stewardship for different aging cohorts. 

Document the costs and benefits of conservation, 
restoration and stewardship management activities, and 
their relative contribution to Quality of Life metrics. 

Develop social marketing approaches for environmental . 
stewardship comparable to social marketing programs for 
improving human health. 

Determine the inter-relationships of ecological, 
social/cultural and economic factors in achieving EPA's 
mission of protecting human health and the environment. 

Document the interactions between human health and the 
environmental quality. 

Assess the effects of social choices and asset (versus 
income) management on willingness to support 
conservation; restoration, arid stewardship of aquatic and 
terrestrial ecosystems. 

Assess the potential for urban revitalization and restoration 
to attract an aging population and reduce environmental 
effects of urban sprawl and associated factors. 


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K. Thornton 


are transferring their finances from 
income to asset management. Under 
asset management fixed future costs 
are preferred, with no surprises or cost 
increases. Being able to demonstrate and 
link the cost-effectiveness and benefits 
of environmental amenities and green 
technolog)' will become even more 
important for approval of public or 
private funds for ecosystem conservation, 
restoration and management when dealing 
with large aging populations practising 
asset management. Targeted, geographic 
surveys of lifestyle, behavior and attitudes 
toward the environment and environmental 
stewardship should be considered. These 
surveys might be coupled with life-cycle 
assessments of consumption patterns, 
particularly pharmaceuticals. Specific 
research projects were identified by Focal 
Area Group A and are included in their 
Breakout Group Summary., 

B. Changing Land-Use 
and Environmental Stressors 

Many of the stressors associated with 
an aging population are similar, if not 
identical, to current stressors from land-use 
patterns, development, urban sprawl, and 
increased impervious surface contributed 
by all population sectors. There may be 
some stressors that are unique to an aging 
population. However, the contribution of 
an aging population to these stressors is 
unknown. In addition, it is unknown if these 
stressors are likely to change in the future. 
Given the history of new stressors emerging, 
it is likely that new stressors will be discovered 
and the effects of existing stressors might 
change. Therefore, the ORD may need to 
focus on.developing and documenting tools 
for assessing and managing existing stressors, 
while developing new tools for emerging 


issues. Multiple tools will likely be required to 
address stressors ranging from coastal to arid 
ecosystems. Having a flexible and transferable 
assessment and management process will 
ensure that similar approaches, models,, 
procedures, and tools can be used to assess 
existing and emerging stressors throughout 
the U.S. 

Scale is an issue in prioritizing research and 
development for assessing and managing the 
effects of an aging population. Workshop 
participants thought a standard EPA region 
encompassing five to seven states was too 
large and complex for developing useful near- 
term tools and approaches. In addition, the 
Regional Vulnerability Assessment (ReVA) 
Program is developing tools at this scale. 

The local scale is where decisions are being 
made daily, but there are already many tools, 
approaches, procedures, ordinances, etc. 
available for application at the local scale. A 
meta-analysis of multiple, local scale studies, 
however, might identify sources, stressors, 
or effects that are common among local 
communities or municipalities. Working at 
a scale between the local scale and the scale 
of an EPA region would be desirable because 
it would provide insight into the cumulative 
effects of local decisions. Workshop 
participants considered the scale of the SEQL 
initiative to be appropriate for research and 
development for assessing and managing 
the effects of an aging population. SEQL is 
an interstate initiative between North and 
South Carolina, in which 15 counties and 85 
municipalities are addressing issues of air and 
water pollution, transportation, energy and 
quality of life. 

Because the SEQL initiative is on-going, 
involves multiple stakeholders, is multi-media 
and is also addressing.infrastructure issues 



- 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


133 







Synthesis 


of transportation and energy, we believe 
research funds could be leveraged quickly to 
also address the effects of an aging population 
on the environment in this region. The 
SEQL study area is experiencing retirement 
migration and new developments for active 
retired adults, in addition to having a 
significant aging-in-place population. 

A case study or demonstration project 
approach should be considered for other 
areas of the U.S., such as the Great Lakes 
region. Working in the Great Lakes would 
bring in international issues in addition to 
interstate issues. Florida is another potential 
location for a demonstration project or case 
study. Similar case studies or demonstration 
projects should be pursued in the East and 
the West. For each case study, a business 
model to evaluate the cost-effectiveness 
of the management practices (pervious 
surfaces, water reuse), existing ordinances, 
regulations, and policies and provide 
economic-environmental linkages needed 
to demonstrate their cost-effectiveness and 
profitability. 

C. Effects on Natural Resources and 
Environmental Quality 

As with the stressors, the effects of an 
aging population on natural resources and 
environmental quality will likely be similar, 
if not identical, to current effects. Some of 
the effects of an aging population will occur 
because of development, such as habitat 
fragmentation, biodiversity change, invasive 
species introductions and increased runoff. 
Some effects from increased pharmaceuticals 
might be unique to an aging population, but 
the increased medication of adolescents for 
asthma, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), 
etc., might make it difficult to partition 


environmental effects of pharmaceuticals 
by age cohorts. Differentiation of 
pharmaceuticals from different population 
segments and their effects should be assessed. 

Increased development in fragile 
environments might lead to irreversible 
changes in some of these ecosystems. Little 
is known about ecological thresholds for 
irreversible ecological change in many of 
these ecosystems. 

The Ecological Footprint concept and 
programs might be useful in partitioning or 
assessing changes in resource utilization and 
lifestyle by age. Workshop participants thought 
the ecological footprint concept should be 
considered in future research and assessment 
activities. 

D. Management Considerations 

In addition to ecological considerations, an 
aging population is likely to also be a political, 
economic and social force that will affect 
management decisions. 

Political 

Several presenters noted that the aging 
population is becoming an increasingly 
important voting block in elections. In 
addition, this cohort has time to become 
involved in political activities, and actively 
support advocacy positions. 


Economic 

Currently, older adults control the 
majority of the wealth in the U.S. As stated 
previously, many Baby Boomers do not 
plan to retire, but plan to work at least 
part time after they reach retirement 
age. However, with retirement, funds 
are typically transferred from income to 


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K. Thornton 


asset management. Asset management 
emphasizes fixed costs, no cost increases 
and no surprises. Without clear 
documentation of the cost-effectiveness 
and benefits of ecological conservation, 
restoration and management, as well as 
urban revitalization and restoration, it 
might be difficult to implement desired 
management practices if they increase costs 
for aging Americans. It was stated by several 
workshop participants that all sectors 
benefit from environmental improvement, 
even if improvements are aimed at an aging 
population. 

Social 

Understanding the mental models 
and social mindscapes of various aging 
population cohorts (including very 
different attitudes on aging among 
Latinos, Asians, African Americans, Native 
Americans, and Anglos) will be important 
in being able to communicate effectively. 
The overall aging cohort has time available 
not just for political involvement, but 
also volunteer activities that benefit the 
environment. Social marketing has been 
effective in changing behaviors related to 
smoking, drunk drivers,and similar social 
causes. It can also be an effective approach 
for increasing awareness about sustainability 
issues (e.g., conveying the Native American 
message that we don’t inherit the 
environment from our ancestors, we borrow 
it from our children), and recruiting 
volunteers from the aging population to 
work for environmental causes. 


Additional Considerations and 
Opportunities 

Workshop participants were nearly unanimous 
in stating that development of collaborative 
relationships and partnerships needs to be 
central to this initiative. Developing and 
fostering new partnerships among local, 
state and federal agencies; the private sector; 
NGOs; and stakeholders is a feature that 
needs to be incorporated in all future research 
and management programs. 

In addition, this initiative must be 
interdisciplinary and include not just natural 
scientists, ecologists and engineers, but also 
sociologists, economists, gerontologists, 
demographers, behaviorists, planners, social 
marketers and other disciplinary specialists 
that deal with aging populations that have 
traditionally not been involved in ecological 
research projects. 

This initiative must consider the economic 
linkages between important ecological and 
management endpoints so the costs and 
benefits of various management practices can 
be assessed. 

This initiative offers, opportunities: 

• To add humans to the equation 
and improve risk assessment and 
management through demographic 
and population movement pattern 
analysis. 

• To leverage on-going studies, such 
as SEQL, that are at an appropriate 
scale, are interstate, multi-media, and 
include other considerations such as 
transportation and energy. Adding an 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


135 










Synthesis 


aging population assessment to these 
studies should be an effective use of 
funds. 

• For ORD to develop and document the 
process for conducting assessments of 
changing demographic and lifestyle 
patterns on the environment. 

• For ORD to enter into a 
partnership with EPA Regions for 
implementation and facilitation of 
the process, including engaging and 
communicating with stakeholders. 

• To utilize existing ORD programs and 
research that will benefit this initiative: 

- Environmental Monitoring and 
Assessment Program (EMAP) can 
determine the current status of each 
region and monitor these regions to 
evaluate and assess the performance 
of implemented management 
practices. 

- ReVA is involved as a partner in 
the SEQL initiative and can assess 
current vulnerabilities and project 
future vulnerabilities. 

- National Risk Management 
Research Laboratory (NRMRL) 
is developing risk management 
practices that can be implemented 
and evaluated as part of this 
initiative. 

In conclusion, the workshop not only 
accomplished its objectives, but also engaged 
participants in lively discussion throughout the 
workshop. This initiative will complement the 
Human Health initiative, both providing and 
benefiting from supplemental information. 


136 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 






Appendix A: Workshop Agenda 



\ 

Day 1 

Tuesday, August 10,2004 

8:00 Registration (Room Cl 14) 

8:30 Welcome and Goals of Workshop 

Patricia Bradley, EPA MAIA, and Kent Thornton, FTN Associates 

9:00 Plenary Address (Broad Overview) 

Sandy Markwood, National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) 

9:45 The Built Environment and Public Health - Allen Dearry, National 
Institutes of Health 

10:30 Break 

10:45 Ecological Footprints, Video presentation, Ecological Footprint Network, 

Dr. Mathis Wackernagel, Introduction by Mike Wallace, Ecological Footprint 
Network 

11:45 Baby Boomers Opinions and Preferences on Retirement, Health and 
Fitness, Financial Preparedness and Active Adult Living 
Communities - Dave Schreiner, Pulte Homes 

12:30 Lunch (buffet lunch and film) Gitga’ata Spring Harvest (25 minutes) 
Introduction by Bernice Smith 

1:30 Criteria used by Aging—Socio-Economic and Nature-Based 

Later-life Migration Impacts - Charles Longino, Wake Forest University 
FANBY-ism in an Aging Society - In Search of Arcadia—Still Searching 
for Paradise - Scott Wright, University of Utah 

V ' 

3:00 Break 

3:15 Case Examples for Aging in Place 

Preparing for the Impact of an Aging, Diverse Population: 

Connections to Environment - Neal Lane, NY State Office for the Aging 

Elders Importance - Dr. Jonathan Hook, EPA 

How Adults Aging in Place Interact with the Natural Environment 

Stanley Paytiamo, Acoma Pueblo 

5:00 Adjourn 

._;_ J 











Appendix A 


---- ; \ 

Day 2 

Wednesday, August 11,2004 

9:00 - 9:15 Critical Captures from Day 1 (Room C-111C) 

Kent Thornton 

9:15 Break-out Sessions 

Patricia Bradley 

Consistent with standard risk assessment approaches, we’ve structured 
workshop breakout discussions to focus on: a) projected demographic and 
lifestyle patterns of an aging population (sources of environmental stress), 
b) temporal and spatial changes in land-use and environmental stressors 
resulting from these patterns (exposure), and c) likely effects resulting 
from changing land-use and exposure regimes (effects). Considerations 
of expected variation in lifestyles and regional differences are important 
to all three issues. Each breakout group is asked to identify and discuss 
existing information important to their respective portion of this simplified 
risk paradigm, and to identify the significant knowledge gaps in the data, 
methods and models needed to address that portion. Bridging these gaps 
(once prioritized) will be the primary goal of ORD’s ecological research 
program relative to the impacts of the aging population. 

FACILITATORS 


Focal area A (sources of environmental stress) - Mary Holland/PSGS 
Focal area B (exposure) - Kent Thornton/FTN Associates 
Focal area C (effects) - Wayne Munns/EPA 


9:15-9:30 Instructions to Focal Breakout Groups 

Workshop participants will be assigned to one of the three focal area 
breakout groups. Each breakout group will consist of both experts and 
stakeholders, and will be led and facilitated by a workshop representative. 

One volunteer from each group will capture salient issues, information, 
and discussion points on flip charts. This material will be used to support 
the breakout group’s plenary presentation on the last day of the workshop. 

The deliberations and plenary presentations of each group should be 
structured to: 

• Identify issues salient to the group’s focal area. 

• Identify known sources of information (data, methods, and models) 
salient to the group’s focal area. 

• Identify significant gaps in that information that are needed 
to understand the ecological risks associated with an aging 
population. 

^ -- ) 


138 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 


















Workshop Agenda 


------ ---\ 

Day 2 (continued) 

Wednesday, August 11,2004 


Suggest research (data collection, method, and model development) to 
bridge the significant gaps. 

Provide a sense of priority with respect to research needs. 


Instructions and specific questions for each Focal Area can be 
found on pages 17-20 and will be presented by the facilitator 
for each group. For the first two sessions (morning and early 
afternoon), each group will address the questions related 
specifically to their Focal Area. 


9:30 - 11:30 Focal Area Breakout Groups (address questions related 
specifically to assigned theme) 

11:30-12:30 Lunch (on your own) 

12:30-2:00 Focal Area Breakout Groups (continue morning discussions) 


2:00-2:30 

2:30-3:00 

3:00-4:30 


Summarize Focal Area Group Discussions (to be used for Day 
3 Reporting Out) 

Break 

In the last session the groups will be mixed so that individuals 
from each Focal Area will be in all of the groups. This session will 
concentrate on interactions and linkages among the themes. 

Interactions/Linkages Breakout Groups 


4:30-5:00 Summarize Interactions/Linkages Group Discussions (to be 

used for Day 3 Reporting Out) 

The facilitator for each session will ensure that the critical issues and discussion 
points are captured at the end of each session. These critical captures will 
contribute directly to the Workshop Proceedings and provide input for the synthesis/ 
fusion presentation. 


5:00 Adjourn 

V____ 



Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


139 



















Appendix A 


r 


- \ 

Day 3 

Thursday, August 12, 2004 


9:00 

9:00-9:20 

9:20-9:40 

9:40-10:00 

10 : 00 - 10:20 

10:20-10:30 

10:30-10:40 

10:40-10:50 

10:50-11:15 

11:15 

12:00 

1:00 


Presentations of Breakout Groups 

Focal Area A - sources of environmental stress 

Focal Area B - exposure 

Focal Area C - effects 

Discussion 

Interactions/Linkages Group 1 

Interactions/Linkages Group 2 

Interactions/Linkages Group 3 

Discussion 

Synthesis/Fusion 

Summary, Action Items, Wrap-Up 

Adjourn 



140 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 









Appendix B: Attendees 


Bauer, Diana * 

bauer.diana@epa.gov 
202-343-9759 
USEPA ORD/NCER 
Ariel Rios Building - 8722R 
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NYV 
Washington, DC 20460 

Bearon, Lucille 

luci_bearon@ncsu.edu 

919-515-9146 

NC State Cooperative Extension 
Dept, of Family & Consumer 
Sciences 

Campus Box 7605 
Raleigh, NC 27695-7605 

Bradley, Don 

bradleyd@mail.ecu.edu 
252-328-4838 
E. Carolina University 
East 5th Street 
Greenville, NC 27858-4353 

Bradley, Patricia * 

bradley.patricia@epa.gov 

410-305-2744 

USEPA Mid-Atlantic Integrated 

Assessment 

701 Mapes Road 

Ft Meade, MD 20755-5350 

Dearry, Allen ** 

dear17@niehs.nih.gov 

919-541-3068 

NIH, National Institute of 
Environmental Health Sciences 
111 Alexander Drive 
P.O. Box 12233 

Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 


DeLucia, Tony 

oneajdone@msn.com 

423-439-6202 

E.Tennessee State University 
Quillen College of Medicine 
Box 70571 

Johnson City, TN 37614 

Eley, Carlton 

eley.carlton@epa.gov 

202-566-2841 

USEPA OPEI 

Ariel Rios Building 

1200 Pennsylvania Ave, NW 

Washington, DC 20460 

Geller, Andrew 

geller.Andrew@epa.gov 
919-541-4208 
USEPA ORD/NHEERL 
MD B105-05 
RTP, NC 27711 

Ghiloni, Jennifer **** 

jennifer.ghiloni@psgs.com 

781-544-3063 

PSGS 

Mill Wharf Plaza 
Suite 208 

Scituate, MA 02066 


Hedtke, Steven * 

hedtke.steven@epa.gov 
919-541-0479 
USEPA ORD/NHEERL 
MD B205-01 
RTP, NC 27711 


Holland, Mary *** 

mary.holland@psgs.com 

410-551-2799 

Perot Systems Government 
Services 

7929 Barnhill Circle 
Severn, MD 21144 

Hook, Jonathan ** 

hook.jonathan@epa.gov 
214-665-8069 
USEPA Region 6 
1445 Ross Avenue 
Suite 1200 

Dallas TX 75202-2733 

Jackson, Laura 

jackson.laura@epa.gov 
919-541-3088 
USEPA ORD/NHEERL 
MD B205-01 
RTP, NC 27711 

Kirby, Sarah 

sarah_kirby@ncsu.edu 

919-515-9154 

NC State Cooperative Extension 
Dept, of Family & Consumer 
Sciences 

Campus Box 7605 
Raleigh, NC 27695-7605 

Koren, Hillel 

koren.hillel@epa.gov 

919-966-9791 

USEPA ORD/NHEERL 

MD 58C 

RTP, NC 27711 


* Planning Committee | ** Guest Speaker | *** Facilitator | **** Workshop Support Staff 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


141 





Appendix B 


Kumar, Chitra 

kumar.chitra@epa.gov 
919-541-2990 
USEPA OAQPS 
MD C339-01 
RTP,NC 27711 

Lane, Neal ** 

neal.lane@ofa. state, ny.us 
418-474-7012 

NY State Office for the Aging 
Executive Offices 
Agency Building 2 
Empire State Plaza 
Albany, NY 12223-1250 

Longino, Charles ** 

longino@wfu.edu 

336-758-4665 

Wake Forest University 

Reynolda Gerontology Program 

Wake Forest University 

P.O. Box 7808 

Winston-Salem, NC 27109 

Markwood, Sandy ** 

SMarkwood@n4a.org 
202-872-0888 
National Assoc, of Area 
Agencies 
on Aging 

1730 Rhode Island Ave., NW 
Suite 1200 

Washington, DC 20036 

Marsh, Marsha 

marsh.marsha@epa.gov 
919-541-2542 
USEPA ORD/NCEA 
MD E343-03 
RTP, NC 27711 


Mehaffey, Megan 

mehaffey.megan@epa.gov 
919-541-4205 
USEPA ORD/NERL 
MD E243-05 
RTP, NC 27711 

Munns, Wayne * ** 

munns.wayne@epa.gov 
401-782-3017 
USEPA ORD/NHEERL 
27 Tarzwell Drive 
Narragansett, R1 02882 


Neiman, Andrea 

AFN1@CDC.GOV 

770-488-6051 

U.S. Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention 

Mailstop K-46 

4770 Buford Highway NE 

Atlanta, GA 30341 

Paytiamo, Stanley ** 

tribalepa@puebloofacoma.org 

505-552-6604 

Acoma Pueblo 

Pueblo of Acoma 

P.O. Box 309 

Acoma Pueblo, NM 87034 


Paul, John 

paul.john@epa.gov 
919-541-3160 
USEPA ORD/NHEERL 
MD B205-01 
RTP, NC 27711 ' 


Rimer, Linda 

rimer.linda@epa.gov 
919-541-0785 
USEPA OAQPS 
MD C539-01 
RTP, NC 27711 

Rosenbaum, Jennifer 

jennifer.rosenbaum@ofa. state, ny.us 
518-473-4936 

NY State Office for the Aging 
Executive Offices 
Agency Building 2 
Empire State Plaza 
Albany, NY 12223-1250 

Schreiner, Dave ** 

dave.schreiner@pulte.com 
480-391-6206 
Pulte Homes 
15333 N. Pima Road 
Suite 300 

Scottsdale, AZ 85260 


Smith, Bernice L. * 

smith.bernicel@epa.gov 

202-343-9766 

USEPA ORD/NCER 

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW 

Washington, DC 20460 


Stone, Susan 

stone.susan@epa.gov 
919-541-1146 
USEPA OAQPS 
MD C539-01 
RTP, NC 27711 


* Planning Committee | ** Guest Speaker | *** Facilitator | **** Workshop Support Staff 


142 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 




Attendees 


Sykes, Kathy 

sykes.kathy@epa.gov 
202-564-3651 
USEPA, OA 

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW 
Washington, DC 20460 


Thomas, Kent 

thomas.kent@epa.gov 
919-541-7939 
USEPA ORD/NERL 
National Exposure Research 
Lab 

MD E205-04 
RTP, NC 27711 


Thornton, Kent * *** 

kwt@ftn-assoc.com 
501-225-7779 
FTN Associates 
#3 Innwood Circle, Ste. 220 
Little Rock, AR 72211-2449 


Tonn, Bruce 

btonn@utk.edu 
865-974-5227 
University of Tennessee 
Ste 108, Hoskins Library 
Knoxville, TN 37996-4015 


Walbeck, Eric **** 

eric.walbeck@psgs.com or 

walbeck.eric@epa.gov 

410-305-2760 

PSGS 

c/oMAIA 

701 Mapes Road 

Ft Meade, MD 20755-5350 


Wallace, Mike ** 

mike@footprintnetwork.org 
510-839-8879 
Global Footprint Network 
1050 Warfield Ave. 

Oakland, CA 94610-1612 


Wiggins, Sandy 

Sandy_Wiggins@ncsu.edu 

919-515-9155 

NC State Cooperative Extension 
Dept, of Family & Consumer 
Sciences 

Campus Box 7605 
Raleigh, NC 27695-7605 

Wright, Scott * ** 

scott.wright@nurs.utah.edu 

801-585-9542 

University of Utah 

College of Nursing 

10 South 2000 East 

Salt Lake City, UT 84112-5880 


* Planning Committee | ** Guest Speaker | *** Facilitator | **** Workshop Support Staff 
























Appendix C: Reading List 


Bechtel. R. and Churchman, A. 2002. Handbook 
of environmental psychology. New York, NY: John 
WLle\' &: Sons, Inc. 

Bennett. G. 1993. Retirement migration and 
economic development in high-amenitv, 
nonmetropolitan areas. The Journal of Applied 
Gerontology 12: 466-481. 

Bennett. G. 1996. Implications of retirement 

development in high-amenity nonmetropolitan 
coastal areas. The Journal of Applied Gerontology 
15: 345-360. 

Carlson. J.Y., F.L. Funk. G. Rudzitis and S. Cann. 
1998. Factors affecting retirement migration 
to Idaho: an adaptation of the amenity 
retirement misTation model. The Gerontologist 
38: 18-24. 

Chambers. X., C. Simmons and M. Wackernagel. 
2000. Sharing nature’s interest: ecological 
footprints as an indicator for sustainability. 
London: Earthscan Publications Ltd. 

Cunningham. S. 2002. The restoration economv: 
The Greatest New Growth Frontier: Immediate 
and Emerging Opportunities for Businesses, 
Communities, and Investors. Berret-Koehler 
Publishers, San Francisco, California. 

Cunningham. S. 2004. Restorative Development: 
How does it Relate to Sustainable 
Development, Smart Growth, Green Building, 
and New Urbanism? (June 15, 2004: http:// 
u "a rii '. ret 'italization instit u te. org/S m a rt_ Growth _ cr_ 
SD.htm) 

Dasgupta, P. 2001. Human well-being and the natural 
environment. New York, NY: OxfordU niversity 
Press. 

Del Webb. 2003. Baby boomer report—annual opinion 
survey. Bloomfield Hills, MI: Del Webb. 

Deparunent of Environmental Conservation. 2002. 
“State agencies prepare for the impact of an 
aging New York White paper for discussion." 

. 2002. (May 18, 2004: http://aging.state.ny.us/ 
explore/project 2015/report 02/i n dex. h tm). 

Deparunent of Health and Human Services, 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 
2003. Trends in aging—United States and 
worldwide. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 
52(6). 


Directorate General for Research. Division 
Industry, Research. Energy, Environment, 
and Scientific and Technological Options 
Assessment (STOA). 2001. “Ecological 
footprinting. Commissioned by the European 
Parliament.” 2003. (February 13. 2004: http: 

//vnino. eu ropa rl. eu.in t/stoa/p ubli/pdf/00-09-03_ 
en.pdf). 

Federal Interagencv Forum on Aging-Related 
Statistics. 2000. Older Americans 2000: key 
indicators of well-being. Washington. DC: Federal 
Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics. 

Ferraro, P.J. 2001. Global Habitat Protection: 
Limitations of Development Interventions 
and the Role for Conservation Performance 
Pavments. Conservation Biology 15 (4): 1-12. 

Frey, W.H. 2003. Boomers and seniors in the suburbs: 
aging patterns in Census 2000. Washington. DC: 
The Brookings Institution. Center on L rban 
and Metropolitan Police. 

Fri, R.. R. Harootvan andj. Takeuchi (Eds). 1993. 
Aging of the U.S. population: economic and 
environmental implications. In Proceedings of 
an invitational workshop conducted by American 
Association of Retired Petsons (Forecasting 
Csf Environmental Scanning Department — 

Research Division) and Resources for the Future. 
Washington, DC. 

Henetz, P. 2004. Utah, west lure shifting populace. 
The Salt Lake Tribune , 10 March. 

Ingman, S., X. Pei, C. Ekstrom, H. Friedsam and 
K. Bartlett (Eds). 1995. An aging population, 
an aging planet, and a sustainable future. 

Denton, TX: Texas Institute for Research and 
Education on Aging. 

Kweon, B., W. Sullivan and A. Wilev.1998. Green 
common spaces and the social integration 
of inner-city older adults. Environment and 
Behavior 30: 832-858. 

Klinenberg. R. 2002. Heat Wave: A social autopsy of 
disaster' in Chicago. Chicago, IL: The L niversity 
of Chicago Press. 

Lawton, A.H. and T.A. Rich. 1968. Ecology and 
gerontology: an introduction. The Gerontologist. 
8 : 76-77. 

Libbv, L.W. 2004. “Federal. State and Local 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


145 



Appendix C 



Programs to Protect Farmland.” What the 
Public Values About Farm and Ranch Land. 

State College, PA: Northeast Center for Rural 
Development, 2004. 

Longino, C.F., A.T. Perzynski and E.P. Stoller. 2002. 
Pandora’s briefcase: unpacking the retirement 
migration decision. Research on Aging 24: 29-49. 

Longino, C.F., Jr. and R. Alan Fox. 1995. Retirement 
migration in America: an analysis of the size, trends, 
and economic impact of the country’s neiuest growth 
industry. Houston, TX: Vacation Publications, 
Inc. 

Longino, C.F.,Jr. 1997. On the move: the new 
migration patterns of older Americans. 
Innovations in Aging 26: 23-26. 

Ngo, E.B. 2001. When disasters and age collide: 
reviewing the vulnerability of the elderly. 
Natural Hazards Review May: 8.0-89. 

Novella, W.D. 2002. “Helping aging boomers 
to age in place.” Presented at the National 
Association of Home Builders, 2002 Sen iors 
Housing Symposium, Orlando, FL, May 1, 2002. 

Redefining Progress. 2002. “Ecological footprint 
accounts: moving sustainability from concept 
to measurable goal.” 2002. (February 13, 2004: 
http:// www. redefiningprogress. org/programs/ 
sustainability/ef/efbrochure.pdf). 

Redefining Progress. 2002. ‘Your ecological 

footprint: moving sustainability from abstract 
concept to concrete goal.” 2002. (February 
13, 2004: http://www.redefiningprogress.org/ 
publications/wssdjwrochure.pdf). 

Redefining Progress and Earth Day Network. 2002. 
“Sustainability starts in your community—a 
community indicators guide.” April 2002. 
(February P3,.2004: http://www.redefiningprogress 
■ org/publications/ciguide.pdf). 

Roodman, M.D. and N, Lenseen. 1995. A building 
revolution: how ecology and health concerns are 
transforming construction, Worldwatch paper 
#124. Washington, DC: Worldwatch Institute. 

Roper Starch Worldwide, Inc. 1999. “Baby 

boomers envision their retirement: an AARP 
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http: //research, aarp. org/econ/boomer_seg_ 
prn.html). 


Roper Starch Worldwide, Inc. 2004. “Baby 

boomers envision their retirement II: survey of 
baby boomers’ expectations for retirement.” 
(February 13, 2004 : http://research.aarp.org/ 
econ/boomers_envision. html). 

Smart, T. 2001. “Not acting their age.” June 
10, 2001. (February 13, 2004: http:// 
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SRI Consulting Business Intelligence. 2002. Aging 
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Stoneman,J. and R. Jones. 1997. Residential 
landscapes: their contribution to the quality 
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Stroud, H. 1995. The promise of paradise: recreational 
and retirement communities in the United States 
since 1950. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins 
University Press. 

Sustainable Sonoma County with Redefining 

Progress. 2002. “Time to lighten up? Report on 
the Sonoma County footprint project.” April 
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Talbot, J. and R. Kaplan. 1991. Benefits of nearby 
nature for elderly apartment residents. 
International Journal of Aging and Human 
Development 33:199-130. 

Thomas, N. and H. Soliman. 2002. Preventable 
tragedies: heat disaster and the elderly. Journal 
of Gerontological Social Work 38: 53-66. 

Tonn, B., G. Waidley and C. Petrich. 2001. The 
Aging LI.S. Population and Environmental 
Policy. Journal of Environmental Planning and 
Management 44(6): 851-876. 

U.S. Department of Transportation. 2003. 

Safe mobility for a maturing society: challenges 
and opportunities. Washington, DC: U.S. 
Department of Transportation. . 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2004. EPA 
smart growth strategy. Washington, DC: U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency. 


146 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 




Reading List 


U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2004. 

Draft national agenda for the environment and the 
aging. Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Aging Initiative. 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

2004. Aging and the environment: A research 
framework, Draft Report. Washington, DC: LJ.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency, Office of 
Research and Development, National Health 
and Environmental Effects Laboratory. 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 2003. 

EPA’s smart growth INDEX in 20 pilot communities: 
using GIS sketch modeling to advance smart 
growth. Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, Office of Policy, Economics, 
and Innovation, Development, Community, 
and Environment Division. 

Wackernagel, M. 1997. “Framing the sustainability 
crisis: getting from concern to action.” October 
1997. (May 13, 2004: http://imvw.sdri.ubc.ca/ 
documents/Framing_the_Sustainability_Crisis. doc). 

Wackernagel, M. and E.R. William. 1996. Our 
ecological footprint: reducing human impact on 
the Earth. Gabriola Island, BC: New Society 
Publishers. 

Wackernagel, M., C. Mohfreda and D. Deumling. 
“Ecological footprint of nations—November 
2002 update: how much nature do they use? 
How much nature do they have?” November 
25, 2002. (February 13, 2004: http://www.r 
edefiningprogress. org/ media/releases/021125_ 
efnations. html). 

Wackernagel, M., N. Schulz, D. Deumling, A. 
Linares, M. Jenkins, V. Kapos, C. Monfreda, J. 
Loh, N. Myers, N. Norgaard andj. Randers. 
2002. Tracking the ecological overshoot of 
the human economy. National Academy of 
Science, USA, 99 (14): 9266-9271. [online] 
(February 13, 2004: http://www.pnas.org/cgi/ 
content/abstract/142033699vl). 

Wackernagel, M. 2001. “Advancing sustainable 
resource management: using ecological 
• footprint analysis for problem formulation, 
policy development, and communication." 
(February 13, 2004: http://europa.eu.int/comm/ 
environment/enveco/waste/wackernagel.pdf). 


Worldwatch Institute. 2004. “Press release: 

State of the World 2004: Consumption by 
the numbers.” (February 13, 2004: http:// 
wivw. worldwatch. org/press/news/2004/01/07). 

Wright, S. 1999. The FANBY dynamic: The 

potential and future of retirement “hot spots” 
in the West. Sustainable Communities Revieiv 3: 
6 - 11 . 

Wright, S., M. Caserta and D. Lund. 2003. Older 
adult’s attitudes, concerns, and support for 
environmental issues in the “New West.” 
International Journal of Aging and Human 
Developmen1 57(2): 153-181. 

Wright, S., and Lund, D. 2000. Gray and green?: 
stewardship and sustainability in an aging 
society. Journal of Aging Studies 14: 229-249. 


Websites of Interest: 

• AARP: http://research.aarp.org/general/beyond_ 
50.html 

• American Institute of Architects, Committee 
on the Environment (COTE): www.aia.org/cote 

• .American Society on Aging: www.asaging.org 
'• The Brookings Institution: www.brook.edu 

• California Center for Land Recycling: 
www. cclr. org 

• Coalition for Environmentally Responsible 
Economies (CERES): www.ceres.org 

• Earth Day Network Sc Redefining Progress: 
h ttp://Myfootprint, org 

• Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI): 
www.epri. com 

• Environmental .Alliance for Senior 
Involvement (EASI): www.easi.org 

• The GLOBE Program: www.globe.gov 

• Institute on Aging 8c Environment: 
www. uwm. edu/Dept/IAE 

• Landpool Administrators: 

www. landpooling. com/LandpoolAdministrators 
Overview.pdf 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


147 





Appendix C 


• National Association of Area Agencies on 
Aging (n4a): iuzuiu.n4a.org 

• National Association of Home Builders: 
wiuzu. nahb. org 

• National Institute of Environmental Health 
Sciences: zuiuzu.niehs.gov 

• National Park Service, Rivers, Trails, 

8c Conservation Assistance Program: 
zuzuzu.ncrc.nps.gov/rtca 

• Nature Conservancy: wzuzu.nature.org 

• Population Connection: 
zuzuzu. KidFriendly Cities, org 

• Restore America’s Estuaries: 
wzuw.estuaries.org 

• The Retirement Living Information Center, 
Inc.: zuzuzu. retirementliving, com 

• The Revitilization Institute: 
zuzuzu. revitilization. org 

• Smart Growth Network: zuzuzu.smartgrozuth.org 

• The Society for Human Ecology: . 
zuzuzu. societyforhumanecology. org 

• Sonoran Institute: zuzuzu.sonoran.org 

• Texas Transportation Institute: 
http://tti. tamu.edu 

• The Trust for Public Land: zuwzu.tpl.org 

• University of Buffalo, Center for Inclusive 
Design 8c Environmental Access (IDeA): 
zuzuzu. cip. buffalo, edu/ idea 

• University of California, Center for 
Environmental Research 8c Technology: 
zuwzu.cert.ucr.edu 

• University of Chicago National 
Opinion Research Center (NORC): 
zuzuzu. non. uchicago. edu 

\ 

• University of Maryland, Scientific Research 
on the Internet: zuzuzu.zuebuse.umd.edu/data_ 
des.htm 

• Urban Land Institute: zuzuzu.uli.org 

• U.S. Census Bureau: zuzuzu.census.gov 


• U.S. Centers for Disease Control: 

- National Center for Health Statistics: 
zuzuzu. cdc. gov/nchs 

- Public Health Information Network 
(PHIN): zuzuzu.cdc.gov/phin 

• U.S. Department of Health 8c Human 
Services, Administration on Aging: 
zuzuzu. aoa. dhhs.gov 

• U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor 
Statistics: zuzuzu.bls.gov 

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: 
-Aging Initiative: zuzuzu.epa.gov/aging/ 

index, htm 

- Science and Technolog)' Network for 
Sustainability: 

http://es. epa.gov/ ncer/rfa/2004/2004_collab_ 
science, html 

- Senior Environmental Employment 
Program (SEE): zuzuzu.epa.gov/epahrist/see/ 
brochure 

- Smart Growth Program: zuzuzu.epa.gov/ 
smartgrowth 


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Appendix D: Glossary 


AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) 

- A nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization 
dedicated to making life better for people 50 and over. 

Adult Communities - Communities designed to 
attract active retirees by offering social activities, 
recreational facilities, and services of interest to those 
of retirement age. These developments might consist 
of single-family (detached) dwellings, manufactured 
(mobile) home parks, condominiums, apartments and 
other types of dwellings. 

African Americans - The term “African American,” 
as originally coined, refers to only those descended 
from a relative handful of black, colonial indentured 
servants and the estimated 10 to 11 million Africans 
who arrived in the U.S. as slaves. In slightly broader 
usage, the term also includes black, West Indian 
immigrants, whose African ancestors also survived the 
Middle Passage. “African American” generally does not 
include Afro-Latinos, who tend to use the term “Latino” 
or “Hispanic,” or to recent African immigrants, who 
usually adopt country-of-origin identifiers. However, 
the term can properly be applied to nearly all black 
citizens of the U.S. Despite its literal meaning, the term 
is not normally considered to include white Americans 
of South African or North African origin; skin color is 
considered an essential feature of the definition. 

Age Wave - Refers to the transformation of the 
massive Baby Boom generation into the largest 
proportional elderly population in human history 
(Dychtwald, 1990). 

Aging Explosion - Refers to the rapidly growing older 
population. 

Aging-in-Place - Seniors remaining in the homes and 
neighborhoods they have lived in for many years. 

Alternative Futures - Considered by many to be 
the core concept of futures studies. Suggests that 
individuals, groups, cultures etc., are not set on a 
deterministic path to a single unitary future but, by 
using their powers of foresight and decision-making, 
can select from a wide range of future trajectories 
and outcomes (Slaughter, 1996, Knowledge Base Of 
Futures Studies). 

Amalgam Fillings - Mercury, mixed with gold and 
silver and other materials is used as a dental filling. 
The mercury in dental amalgams can gently leach 
out from the fillings into the body. Mercury released 
into the environment is converted into methyl mercury 
by bacteria. The methyl mercury will then build up in 


the tissues of fish and shellfish. Humans (and other 
animals) may also be poisoned by eating these fish or 
shellfish. 

Ambient - Completely enveloping (e.g., “the ambient 
air;” “ambient sound;” “the ambient temperature”). 

Amenities - Features that enhance and add to the 
value or desirability of real estate although the feature 
is not essential to the property’s use. Natural amenities 
include a pleasant or desirable location near water, 
scenic views of the surrounding area, etc. Man-made 
amenities include swimming pools, tennis courts, . 
clubhouses, and other recreational facilities. 

Amenity-Seeking - Individuals who relocate to areas 
that offer a new and better lifestyle. 

American Indians - The indigenous inhabitants of 
the Americas prior to the European colonization, and 
their modern descendants. This term comprises a large 
number of distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, 
many of them still enduring as political communities. 
Also known as Native Americans, First Nations, 
Alaskan Natives, and Indigenous Peoples of America. 

Anglo-American - An American who was born in 
England or whose ancestors were English. 

Anthropocentric - Human-centered; “our 
anthropocentric view of the world.” 

Arcadia - A term reflecting the desire to search 
for and find a geographic landscape that captures 
the selected qualities of both nature and culture. In 
Arcadia, the bridge between humanity and nature 
is established with ideal pastoral settings, and in 
contemporary U.S. this is typically made manifest 
through the dwelling space of small town suburbia, 
exurbs, or gateway communities. These idyllic 
landscapes are often promoted and marketed as 
prime location sites that feature quality of life amenities 
such as recreational and leisure opportunities, scenic 
beauty, cultural opportunities, less congestion from 
traffic, minimal construction activities, and favorable 
climatic patterns. 

Architect - Design buildings and other structures. 

In addition to considering the way these buildings 
and structures look, they also make sure they are 
functional, safe, economical, and suit the needs of the 
people who use them. 

Area Aging Agencies - Nonprofit organizations 
established in 1975 by the Older Americans Act. Each 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


Appendix D 


state has area aging agencies that provide services 
directly to older persons or contract with other public or 
private agencies to administer programs. 

Asian and Pacific Islanders - Persons who call the 
U.S. their home and trace their ancestry to countries 
from the Asian continent and subcontinent and islands 
within the Pacific Rim. Asian and Pacific Americans 
come from many national backgrounds, speak many 
different languages, and encompass a wide variety of 
physical and social characteristics. 

Asset Management - Refers to special policies and 
programs designed to preserve the value of assets, 
such as stock or investments. 

Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD) - A term used to 
describe a pattern of behaviors found together in a 
significant number of children and adults. Like other 
disorders, ADD is associated with mild, moderate, 
and severe problems. The behavioral characteristics 
of ADD include short attention span, trouble 
concentrating, distractibility, and poor impulse control. 
Hyperactivity may also be present in some children, 
but not all children with ADD are hyperactive. 

Attitudinal - Relating to attitude. 

Average Life Span - The average of a group of 
individuals’ length of life from birth to death. 

Baby Boomer - Someone born between the years 
1946 and 1964. 

Balance Sheet - A statement of the assets, liabilities, 
and net worth of a company at a given point in time. 
The basic relationship illustrated by a balanced sheet 
is that assets minus liabilities are equal to net worth. 

Or alternatively, assets are equal to liabilities plus net 
worth. This is one of two financial statements for an 
entity. The other is an income statement, which reports 
the revenues, expenses, and profit over a period of 
time. 

Base Layer - The first layer in a Geographic 
Information System (GIS). Aerial photography or even 
high resolution satellite imagery often serve as the ' 
base layer. 

Behaviorist - A scientist who investigates the 
behavior of animals objectively and who attempts 
to relate his observations together in a theoretical 
system that does not include concepts borrowed from 
introspection and mental philosophy. More specifically, 
a psychologist who studies learning and related 
phenomena. 


Best Management Practices - Structural, 
nonstructural, and managerial techniques recognized 
to be the most effective and practical means to reduce 
surface water and ground water contamination while 
still allowing the productive use of resources. 

Biocapacity - The supply or amount of productive 
space of land and water. 

Biodiversity - The variety and variability among 
living organisms and the ecosystems in which they 
occur. Biodiversity includes the number of different 
items and their relative frequencies; these items are 
organized at many levels, ranging from complete 
ecosystems to the biochemical structures that are 
the molecular basis of heredity. Thus, biodiversity 
encompasses expressions of the relative abundances 
of different ecosystems, species, and genes. 

Biologically Productive Area - The land and water 
area that is biologically productive. A typical indicator 
of biological productivity is the annual accumulation of 
biomass (the total mass of living matter in a given unit 
area) of an ecosystem. 

Biosphere - The part of the earth and its atmosphere 
in which living organisms exist or that is capable of 
supporting life. 

Biota - The animals, plants, and microbes that live in a 
particular location or region. 

Boomburbs - Fast-growing suburban cities with 
populations of more than 100,000. 

Brainstorming - A group problem-solving technique 
in which members sit around and let fly with ideas and 
possible solutions to a problem. 

Breakout Groups - A term used to describe the 
division of a gathering of people into smaller clusters. 

It is a means of rapidly and actively gathering a large 
amount of newly generated information that can be 
reported back to a large audience. A breakout group 
may range in size from 4 to 15 people. If the meeting 
facility is adaptable and there is sufficient time in 
the program, there really is no limit to the number 
of breakout groups. Each group needs a scribe, a 
reporter, and a facilitator. Once divided, each group 
responds to a question or completes an activity. 
Following an allocated amount of time, everyone 
reassembles to hear all of the small groups present 
summaries of their discussions. 

Brownfield - Abandoned, idled, or under-used 
industrial and commercial facilities/sites where 


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Glossary 


expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or 
perceived environmental contamination. They can be 
in urban, suburban, or rural areas. EPA’s Brownfields 
initiative helps communities mitigate potential health 
risks and restore the economic viability of such areas 
or properties. 

Built Environment -The expression built 
environment recognizes that much of the physical 
world in which humans function and thrive has been 
intentionally created; is something aesthetically and 
functionally shared; and functions as an organism in 
the consumption of resources, disposal of wastes, 
and facilitation of productive enterprise within its 
bounds. The built environment includes all of the 
physical structures engineered and built by people, 
including our homes, workplaces, schools, parks, and 
transportation systems. 

CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation) - 

A lot or facility (other than an aquatic animal production 
facility) where the following conditions are met: More 
than 1,000 animal units (AU) have been, are, or will be 
stabled or confined and fed or maintained for a total of 
45 days or more in any 12 month period, and crops, 
vegetation, forage growth or post-harvest residues are 
not sustained in the normal growing season over any 
portion of the lot or facility. 

1 AU = 1 slaughter or feeder, or 0.7 mature dairy cattle 
(whether milk or dry cows), or 2.5 swine over 55 lbs., or 
0.5 horses, or 10 sheep or lambs, or 30 laying hens, or 
100 broiler chickens, or 55 turkeys, or 5 ducks. 

Carbon Dioxide - Greenhouse gas produced 
through respiration and the decomposition of organic 
substances. Combustion of fossil fuels is primarily 
responsible for increased atmospheric concentrations 
of this gas. 

Carrying Capacity - The maximum population size 
of a given species that an area can support without 
reducing its ability to support that same species in the 
’future. In the human context, William Catton defines it 
as the maximum “load” (population x per capita impact) 
that can safely and persistently be imposed on the 
environment by people. 

Case Study - An exploration of a “bounded system” 
or a case over time through detailed, in-depth data 
collection involving multiple sources of information rich 
in context. Case study research excels at bringing us to 
an understanding of a complex issue or object and can 
extend experience or add strength to what is already 
known through previous research. Case studies 
emphasize detailed contextual analysis of a limited 


number of events or conditions and their relationships. 
Researchers have used the case study research 
method for many years across a variety of disciplines. 

Causation - A “cause and effect” relationship exists 
wherever a change in one variable (the independent 
variable) induces change in another (the dependent 
variable). Causal factors in sociology include individual 
motivation as well as many external influences on 
human behavior that often go unrecognized. 

Centenarian - A person who has attained the age 
of 100 years or more. The term is associated with 
longevity due to the fact that average life expectancies 
across the world are still far from 100. 

CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental 
Response, Compensation, and Liability Act) 

- Commonly known as Superfund, was enacted by 
Congress on December 11,1980. This law created 
a tax on the chemical and petroleum industries and 
provided broad Federal authority to respond directly 
to releases or threatened releases of hazardous 
substances that may endanger public health or 
the environment. Over five years, $1.6 billion was 
collected and the tax went to a trust fund for cleaning 
up abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. 
CERCLA established prohibitions and requirements 
concerning closed and abandoned hazardous waste 
sites; provided for liability of persons responsible 
for releases of hazardous waste at these sites; and 
established a trust fund to provide for cleanup when no 
responsible party could be identified. 

Channelization - The term given to the tendency 
of persons age 60+ who make interstate moves 
to concentrate geographically. Nearly a third of all 
interstate migrants move to just 3 states - Florida, 
Arizona and California, and 54% move to the top ten 
states out of 50. Within these states there is further 
concentration into specific communities. For example, 
if one visits a shopping mall in some parts of Florida, it 
seems over half the population is over 60. 

Chronic Effect - An adverse effect on a human or 
animal in which symptoms recur frequently or develop 
slowly over a long period of time. 

Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) - A program 
created in President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s first 
month in office (on March 31, 1933). The CCC was an 
interdepartmental work and relief program that sent 
young, unemployed men from the cities to work on 
conservation projects in rural areas at a dollar a day. 
The Labor Department’s role was to recruit participants 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


151 






Appendix D 


in the program. To do this, the employment service was 
hastily beefed up and mobilized. Within a week there 
was organized within it a National Re-Employment 
Service to handle recruitment. In a short time there 
were 250,0Q0 young enrollees working in CCC camps 
all around the country. One of the most successful 
and well-received New Deal programs; when the CCC 
disbanded in 1942 several million young men had 
participated. 

Climate Change (also referred to as “global climate 
change”)-The term “climate change” is sometimes 
used to refer to all forms of climatic inconsistency, but 
because the Earth’s climate is never static, the term • 
is more properly used to imply a significant change 
from one climatic condition to another. In some cases, 
“climate change” has been used synonymously with 
the term, “global warming;” scientists however, tend to 
use the term in the wider sense to also include natural 
changes in climate. 

Cohort - An aggregation of people having a common 
characteristic, (e.g., the time period in which they were 
born). 

Common Interest Development (CID) - A type of „ 
housing which.combines the individual ownership of 
private dwellings with the shared ownership of common 
facilities. The common facilities can range from roads 
and water systems to clubhouses, swimming pools 
and even 18-hole golf courses. CIDs provide a system 
of self-governance through a community association, 
sometimes called a homeowner association. The 
association has the authority to enforce special rules 
called CC&Rs (covenants, conditions and restrictions) 
and to raise money through regular and special 
assessments. 

Commons - Refers to natural resources to which a 
large number of people have access. Each of us has 
the obligation to keep the commons in good shape— 
we all have a “permanent” stake in it. This does not 
preclude personal profit, but personal profit is no longer 
the focus. Each of us must focus on his responsibility 
to others—regardless of what others are doing. An 
individual is not allowed to say, “Since I’m only one 
of many people contributing to the problem, I’m not 
responsible. After all, even without me, the damage 
would have occurred and if I was the only one doing 
the activity it wouldn’t have been enough damage 
to have mattered.” When each individual recognizes 
his true place in the world and assumes personal 
responsibility for his actions, there need never be 
another tragedy of the commons. 


Community -The assemblage of populations of plants 
and animals (including humans) that interact with 
each other and their environment. The community is 
shaped by populations and their geographic range, the 
types of areas they inhabit, species diversity, species 
interactions, and the flow of energy and nutrients 
through the community. 

Comorbidity - The condition of having two or more 
diseases at the same time. 

Compact Development - A pattern of land 
development with sufficient density of development and 
proximity between uses and activities to encourage 
pedestrian movement and efficient provision of public 
facilities and services. Lot sizes, typically, are much 
smaller; can be clustered or grouped, requiring far less 
infrastructure, including impervious (paved) surfaces; 
and, more recently, are designed to look like more 
traditional concepts of neighborhoods (new urbanism). 

Composting - The controlled biological decomposition 
of organic material in the presence of air to form a 
humus-like material. 

Comprehensive Master Plan - A plan prepared by 
a planning commission to guide future land use and 
infrastructure decisions in the community according 
to the procedures and requirements of the applicable 
planning enabling act. A Master Plan has a long¬ 
term focus of at least twenty years; is required to 
be reviewed periodically; and includes analysis, 
recommendations, and proposals for the community’s 
population, economy, housing, transportation, 
community facilities, services, and future land use. 

Concentration - The relative amount of a substance 
mixed with another substance. An example is five parts 
per million of carbon monoxide in air. 

Conservation - Preserving and renewing, when 
possible, human and natural resources. The use, 
protection, and improvement of natural resources 
according to principles that will ensure their highest 
economic or social benefits. 

Conservation Easement - A voluntary binding 
legal agreement between a private landowner and a 
municipal agency or qualified non-profit corporation 
to restrict the development, management, or use 
of the land in order to protect conservation values 
such as biodiversity, water quality, wildlife habitat 
or carbon sequestration.. The agency or non-profit 
corporation holds the interest and is empowered to 
enforce its restrictions against the current landowner 
and all subsequent owners of the land. A perpetual 


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Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 




Glossary 


conservation easement usually grants conservation 
and management rights to a party in perpetuity. 

Consumption - Refers to all the goods and 
services used by people. This includes purchased 
commodities at the household level (such as food, - 
clothing, and utilities), the goods and services paid 
for by the government (such as defense, education, 
social services, and health care), and the resources 
consumed by businesses to increase their assets (such 
as business equipment and housing). 

Contaminant - Any physical, chemical, biological, or 
radiological substance or matter that has an adverse 
effect on air, water, or soil. 

Continental Shelf - The zone around the continents 
extending from the low-water mark seaward, typically 
ending in steep slope to the depths of the ocean floor. 

Convective Storms (also thunderstorms) - In 
general, a local storm, invariably produced by a 
cumulonimbus cloud and always accompanied by 
lightning and thunder, usually with strong gusts 
of wind, heavy rain, and sometimes with hail. It is 
usually of short duration, seldom over two hours for 
any one storm. A thunderstorm is a consequence of 
atmospheric instability and constitutes, loosely, an 
overturning of air layers in order to achieve a more 
stable density stratification. A strong convective updraft 
is a distinguishing feature of this storm in its early 
phases. A strong downdraft in a column of precipitation 
marks its dissipating stages. Thunderstorms often 
build to altitudes of 40,000-50,000 ft in midlatitudes 
and to even greater heights in the Tropics; only the 
great stability of the lower stratosphere limits their 
upward growth. A unique quality of thunderstorms 
is their striking electrical activity. In U.S. weather 
observing procedure, a thunderstorm is reported 
whenever thunder is heard at the station; it is reported 
on regularly scheduled observations if thunder is 
heard within 15 minutes preceding the observation. 
Thunderstorms are reported as light, medium, or 
heavy according to 1) the nature of the lightning and 
thunder; 2) the type and intensity of the precipitation, 
if any; 3) the speed and gustiness of the wind; 4) the 
appearance of the clouds; and 5) the effect upon 
surface temperature. From the viewpoint of the synoptic 
meteorologist, thunderstorms may be classified by the 
nature of the overall weather situation, such as airmass 
thunderstorm, frontal thunderstorm, and squall-line 
thunderstorm. 

Correlation - The relationship between two variables 
in which they vary together-say a correlation between 

• • 

' 


the income of parents and reading ability among 
primary school children. Statistical correlation can vary 
from -1 to 1 (a 0 indicates no correlation between the 
variables). A positive correlation between two variables 
exists where a high score on one variable is associated 
with a high score on the other. A negative correlation is 
where a high score on one variable is associated with 
a low score on the other. 

Covenant - A signed written agreement between two 
or more parties to perform some action. 

Daniel Boone Syndrome - A psychological syndrome 
where an individual feels trapped when their existence 
becomes routine. They need to escape, and go in 
search of something better, believing that they will 
find it over the next hill. An extreme example is that of 
people abandoning the decaying urban areas of the 
Northeast for the “fresh” environments of California, 
which they proceed to “trash” before fleeing to the 
Pacific Northwest and from there, to the small towns 
of the inland West. Once can interpret such shifts as a 
collective shunning of the social problems associated 
with modern urban living. Rather than confronting and 
solving problems, people move on and spread them. 

de Rigueur - Strictly required by the current fashion or 
by etiquette. 

Debilitating Disease - A disease that impairs an 
individual’s strength and vitality. 

Delphi Method - Based on a structured process 
for collecting and distilling knowledge from a group 
of experts by means of a series of questionnaires 
interspersed with controlled opinion feedback (Adler 
and Ziglio, 1996). According to Helmer (1977) Delphi 
represents a useful communication device among a 
group of experts and thus facilitates the formation of a 
group judgment. 

Demographer - A scientist who studies the growth 
and density of populations and their vital statistics. 

Demographics - Statistics representing the 
composition and range of a given population. This may 
include such elements as age, gender, education, 
income, computer experience, occupation, nationality, 
and migration patterns. 

Demography - The scientific study of human 
population-including size, growth, movement, density, 
and composition. 

Demonstration Project - A relatively self-contained, 
small-scale capital investment or technical assistance 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


153 







Appendix D 


project which is implemented in order to “demonstrate” 
in practice how a particular type of problem can be 
addressed in a participatory way. It is an effective 
mechanism to forge partnerships between public, 
private and (especially) community sectors, developing 
new ways of working together, and learning by doing 
whilst generating tangible results on the ground. 

Dependency Migrants - Typically forced to move due 
to deterioration of health and financial resources or the 
loss of a spouse. 

Disamenities - Covers a wide range of potential 
negative economic impacts on residential and other 
properties. Environmental disamenities include 
superfund and hazardous waste sites, solid waste 
landfills, overhead power lines, pipelines, storage 
tanks, and railroad tracks. 

Disposable Income - The amount of income left to an 
individual after all necessary expenses are paid (e.g., 
taxes, mortgage or rent, car payment and insurance). 

DOI - U.S. Department of Interior. 

Durable Goods - Manufactured items with a normal 
life expectancy of three years or more. Automobiles, 
furniture, household appliances and mobile homes 
are examples. Because of their nature, expenditures 
for durable goods are generally postponable, 
consequently, durable goods sales are a more volatile 
component of consumer expenditures. 

Dynamic Systems Modeling - Mathematical models 
that analyze and predict a system’s behavior that 
evolves over time, often in a manner that can be 
represented by differential equations. 

Ecological - Relating to the inter-relationships of 
organisms and their environment. 

Ecological Assets - Tangible commodities (e.g., 
planted city trees, forests, wetlands, streams, riparian 
corridors and species, shrub beds, and turf grass 
areas) that have greater inherent value than traditional 
real estate valuation. 

Ecological Deficit - The amount by which the 
ecological footprint of a population (e.g., country or 
region) exceeds the biological capacity of the space 
available to that population. The national ecological 
deficit measures the amount by which the country’s 
footprint (plus the country’s share of biodiversity 
responsibility) exceeds the ecological capacity of that 
nation. 


Ecological Effects - Changes that alter valued 
structural or functional characteristics of ecosystems or 
their components. 

Ecological Exposure - Exposure of a non-human 
organism to a stressor (such as toxic chemicals). 

Ecological Footprint - The land and water area that 
is required to support a defined human population 
and material Standard indefinitely, using prevailing 
technology. 

Ecological Processes - The actions or events that 
link organisms (including humans) and their environ¬ 
ment such as disturbance, successional development, 
nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, productivity, and 
decay. 

Ecological Reserve - A sanctuary consisting of 
contiguous, diverse habitats, within which uses are 
subject to conditions, restrictions, and prohibitions. 
These restrictions are intended to minimize human 
influences and to sustain unique or representative 
parts of the natural environment. 

Ecological Risk Assessment - The application of 
a formal framework, analytical process, or model to 
estimate the effects of human action(s) on a natural 
resource and to interpret the significance of those 
effects in light of the uncertainties identified in each 
component of the assessment process. Such analysis 
includes initial problem formulation, characterizations 
of exposure and ecological effects, and risk 
characterization. 

Environmental Sustainability - Maintenance of 
ecosystem components and functions for future 
generations. 

Ecologist - A scientist who studies inter-relationships 
between living things and their environments. 

Ecology - The study of the inter-relationships between 
organisms and their natural environment. 

Economist - An individual who has received extensive 
training in economic theories, applications, and 
analysis and whose primary employment involves the 
research, teaching, consulting, and other applications 
of this economic training. 

Ecoregion - A relatively homogeneous geographic 
area perceived by simultaneously analyzing a 
combination of causal and integrative factors 
including land surface form, soils, land-uses, and 
potential natural vegetation. Ecoregions are generally 


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Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 




Glossary 


considered to be the regions of relative homogeneity 
in ecological systems or in relationships between 
organisms and their environments. 

Ecosystem - The plant and animal communities in an 
area together with the non-living physical environment 
that supports them. Ecosystems have physically 
defined boundaries, but they are also dynamic; their 
boundaries and constituents can change over time. 
They can import and export materials and energy; and 
thus can interact with and influence other ecosystems. 
They can also vary widely in size. 

Ecosystem Services - The transformation of a 
set of natural assets (soil, plants and animals, air 
and water) into things that we value. For example, 
when fungi, worms and bacteria transform the raw 
“ingredients” of sunlight, carbon and nitrogen into 
fertile soil this transformation is an ecosystem service. 
Some examples of ecosystem services that come 
from nature include: pollination; fulfillment of people’s 
cultural, spiritual and intellectual needs; regulation of 
climate; insect pest control; maintenance and provision 
of genetic resources; maintenance and regeneration of 
habitat; provision of shade and shelter; prevention of 
soil erosion; maintenance of soil fertility; maintenance 
of soil health; maintenance of healthy waterways; water 
filtration; regulation of river flows and groundwater 
levels; and waste absorption and breakdown. 

Effluent - Any material that flows outward from 
something; examples include wastewater from 
treatment plants and water discharged into streams 
from abandoned coal mines. 

Elder - An older person. In many cultures the elders 
are seen’as chiefs or heads of the community and are 
treated with respect and honor. 

EMAP - EPA’s Environmental Monitoring and 
Assessment Program. 

Embryo - This term is applied to the earliest stages 
of development of a plant or animal. The embryo is 
generally contained in another structure, the seed, egg, 
or uterus. 

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals - Chemical 
substances, sometimes called environmental 
estrogens, both from natural sources and man made, 
that if present in the body at the right concentration and 
at the right time, can adversely effect hormone balance 
or disrupt normal function in the organs that hormones 
regulate. By EPA’s working definition, endocrine 
disruptors “interfere with the synthesis, secretion, 
transport, binding, action, or elimination of natural 


hormones in the body that are responsible for the 
maintenance of homeostasis (normal cell metabolism), 
reproduction, development, and/or behavior.” Many 
endocrine disruptors are thought to mimic hormones. 
They have chemical properties similar to hormones 
that allow binding to hormone specific receptors on the 
cells of target organs. However, endocrine disruptor 
chemistry varies greatly, as does potency—the 
effectiveness in binding and “turning on” the response. 
Most endocrine disruptors have very low potency, 
as their chemistry is significantly different from the 
hormones they mimic. Lower potency means that a 
greater amount of endocrine disruptor is required to 
elicit the same response of the hormone they mimic. 

In addition to potency, the potential for a hormone¬ 
like effect depends on dose. For all known endocrine 
disruptors there is some dose, below which there will 
be no effect. At doses slightly above this threshold 
some endocrine disruptors elicit a beneficial effect, 
whereas at higher doses the effect is adverse 
(harmful). 

Endocrine System - The group of organs that 
produce hormones and excrete them into the blood 
stream through which they travel to the tissues that 
use them. The major organs that make up the human 
endocrine system are the hypothalamus, pituitary, 
thyroid, parathyroids, adrenals, pineal body, and the 
reproductive glands, which include the ovaries and 
testes. The pancreas is also part of this hormone- 
secreting system, even though it is also associated 
with the digestive system because it also produces and 
secretes digestive enzymes. Although the endocrine 
glands are the body’s main hormone producers, some 
non-endocrine organs —such as the brain, heart, 
lungs, kidneys, liver, thymus, skin, and placenta—also 
produce and release hormones. 

Engineer - A person who is trained in and uses 
technological and scientific knowledge to solve * 
practical problems. The discipline is divided into a 
number of specialties, such as civil, mechanical, 
chemical, electronic, environmental, aerospace, 
electrical, and industrial engineering. 

Environment - The sum of all external conditions 
affecting the life, development and survival of an 
organism. 

Environmental Alliance for Senior Involvement 
(EASI) - Founded in 1991 through a partnership with 
The American Association of Retired People (AARP) 
and EPA. In the ensuing years it has begun to fulfill 
its mission of building, promoting, and utilizing the 
environmental ethic, expertise, and commitment 


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Appendix D 


of older persons to expand citizen involvement in 
protecting and caring for our environment for present 
and future generations. Through establishment of 
its EASI Senior Environment Corps (SECs) across 
the.country, in partnership with such groups as 
AmeriCorps, Retired and Senior Volunteer Programs, 
and various state, federal, corporate, and foundation 
organizations, EASI enables and encourages senior 
volunteer participation in enhancing their communities 
environmentally. 

Environmental Management System (EMS) - 

The part of an overall management system which 
includes structure, planning activities, responsibilities, 
practices, procurements, processes and resources 
for developing, implementing, achieving, reviewing 
and maintaining an environmental policy. Such a 
system is the procedure put in place to ensure the 
control of the environmental impact of a company’s 
products and services. Many companies have informal 
Environmental Management Systems in place with an 
increasing number choosing to go through the process 
of formal recognition to achieving certification such as 
ISO 14001. 

Environmentally Disadvantaged - An area within 
two miles of the borders of a site on which a waste 
management facility is proposed to be constructed 
and that meets specified criteria concerning minority 
populations, poverty, and existing hazardous or solid 
waste facilities or hazardous waste sites. 

Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs) - 

Particular parts of the countryside where the 
landscape, wildlife and historic interest are of national 
importance. ESAs are highly valued for their scenic 
beauty, for the habitats they provide for plants and 
wildlife, and for the many important ecosystems 
services they provide. 

Environmental Stewardship - Initiatives that rely 
on responsible use, self-restraint and cooperation 
between stakeholders, as opposed to legislated 
measures. The voluntary programs establish incentives 
'to stimulate the development and implementation 
of programs that use pollution prevention and 
innovative approaches to meet and exceed regulatory 
requirements. These programs seek to reduce the 
impact on the environment beyond measures required 
by any permit or rule, producing a better environment, 
conserving natural resources and resulting in long-term 
economic benefits. 

EPA Regional Offices - EPA has ten regional offices, 
each of which is responsible for several states and 


territories. A Regional Office is responsible for the 
execution of the Agency’s programs in its states. 

Epiphenomenal - 1) A secondary phenomenon that 
results from and accompanies another: “ Exploitation 
of one social class or ethnic group by another [is] an 
epiphenomenon of real differences in power between 
social groups? (Harper’s). 2) Pathology. An additional 
condition or symptom in the course of a disease, not 
necessarily connected with the disease. 

Erosion - The process of soil and nutrient loss that 
leads to a decline in the ability of the land to support 
life. Can also be used metaphorically to refer to 
depletion (e.g., of natural capital). 

Eskimos and Aleuts - Are Native Americans. Both 
peoples are racially similar to Siberian people, and 
their languages are from the same language family. In 
their migrations from across the bridge that connected 
Asia and North America, Eskimos settled in the Arctic 
region of the continent. The Aleuts inhabited the 
Aleutian Islands, a chain of rugged, volcanic islands 
west of the tip of the Alaskan Peninsula. 

Ethnicity - The classification of a population that 
shares common characteristics, such as religion, 
traditions, culture, language, custom, social viewpoint, 
and tribal or national origin. 

Etiology - The causes or origin of a disease or 
disorder; the study of the factors that cause disease 
and the method of their introduction to the host. 

Eutrophication - A condition in an aquatic ecosystem 
where high nutrient concentrations stimulate blooms 
of algae (e.g., phytoplankton). These excess nutrients 
can lead to a condition in which prolonged blooms of 
algae deprive light and oxygen from other organisms 
while turning waterways green and foul smelling. Algal 
decomposition may lower dissolved oxygen 
concentrations. Although eutrophication is a natural 
process in the aging of lakes and some estuaries, it 
can be accelerated by both point and nonpoint sources 
of nutrients. 

Evolutionary Process - The process of change in the 
traits of organisms or populations over time. Evolution, 
through the process of natural selection, can lead to 
the formation of new species. 

Exposure - The amount of radiation or pollutant 
present in a given environment that represents a 
potential health threat to living organisms. 


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Glossary 


Exposure Route - The way a chemical or pollutant 
enters an organism after contact; i.e. by ingestion, 
inhalation, or dermal absorption. 

Extension Service Master Gardeners - A program 
and training conducted by county extension offices. 

The training provides gardeners with the opportunity 
to improve their horticultural knowledge and skills and 
then share their experience with the public through 
organized volunteer activities. The program topics 
covered include: botany, plant problem diagnosis, soils, 
ornamentals, pest management, fruits, vegetables, and 
plant propagation. 

Exurbs - The expression “Exurbs” was coined 
in the 1950s to describe the ring of prosperous 
rural communities beyond the suburbs that, due to 
availability via the new high-speed limited-access 
highways, were becoming dormitory communities 
for an urban area. Earlier exurbs had been reached 
through commuter rail and parkway systems, with 
classic examples towards the end of Philadelphia’s 
Main Line and in Upper Westchester County, New York. 

FANBY (Find a New Backyard) - The phenomenon of 
people seeking geographic areas that are associated 
with high quality of life (e.g., natural amenities, less 
pollution, less congestion and sprawl). As greater 
numbers of people relocate to these areas, they create 
stressors and strains on the very natural resources that 
were the primary attraction to begin with. 

Farmers’ Markets - Markets usually held outside 
where farmers can sell their produce to the public. 
Products at such markets are renowned for being 
locally grown, very fresh, and sold directly to the public, 
without going through a middleman. Farmers’ markets 
often feature additive-free and organic produce. 

Fertility Rate - The average number of liveborn 
children produced by women of childbearing age in a 
particular society. 

Fixed Costs - In general, cost that does not change 
with changes in the quantity of output produced. Fixed 
cost is incurred whether or not any output is produced. 
The same fixed cost is incurred at any and all output 
levels. 

Florida Panther -The Florida panther is a highly 
endangered subspecies of mountain lion. The Florida 
panther was once common in western Texas and 
throughout the southeastern states, but is now found 
only in Florida. Their habitat includes cypress swamps, 
pine, and hardwood hammock forests. Only 30 to 50 
individuals survive today. 


Food Chain - A succession of organisms in an 
ecological community that constitutes a continuation 
of food energy from one organism to another as each 
•consumes a lower member and in turn is preyed upon 
by a higher member. 

Foreign Born - Foreign by birth; not native to the 
country in which one resides. 

Fossil Fuel - Fuel derived from ancient organic 
remains; e.g. peat, coal, crude oil, and natural gas. 

Freshwater Scarcity - Occurs when the amount of 
water withdrawn from lakes, rivers or groundwater is 
so great that water supplies are no longer adequate 
to satisfy all human or ecosystem requirements, 
bringing about increased competition among potential 
demands. Scarcity is likely to occur sooner in regions 
where the per capita availability of water is low to start 
with, and with high population growth. It becomes 
more serious if demand per capita is growing owing to 
changes in consumption patterns. 

Future Generations - Refers to the future people who 
will come after us who presently have no voice but who 
are directly affected by our actions and lack of action. 
The focus of a developing, world-wide effort to redress 
numerous oversights created by short-term thinking. 

Future Vulnerability - Future susceptibility to 
degradation or damage from adverse factors or 
influences. 

Gateway Communities - The towns and cities that 
border public lands. 

Geopolitical Boundaries - Regional boundaries 
based on geology and/or politics (e.g., state, county, 
municipality). 

Geriatrics - A branch of medicine devoted to the 
study, understanding and treatment of illnesses and 
diseases associated with aging. 

Gerontologist - A specialist in the study of aging. 

Gerontology - The multi-disciplinary study of aging 
that encompasses the biological, psychological, 
sociological, health, and economic aspects of aging. 

Global Acres - Acres that have been adjusted 
according to global average biomass (i.e., total mass of 
living matter within a given unit of environmental area) 
productivity so that they can be compared meaningfully 
across regions. 


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GLOBE - A worldwide hands-on, primary and 
secondary school-based education and science 
program. GLOBE encourages students to measure 
aspects of their local environment and report their 
results over the Internet. Data from schools around 
the world are then available for students to use in 
a wide range of projects and activities. GLOBE is 
a cooperative effort of schools, led in the U.S. by a 
Federal interagency program supported by NASA, 

NSF and the U.S. State Department, in partnership 
with colleges and universities, state and local 
school systems, and non-government organizations. 
Internationally, GLOBE is a partnership between the 
U.S. and over 100 other countries. 

Gradient - Ratio of change, such as the rate of 
change of temperature with height. Also the slope of a 
line on a graph. A steep gradient exists when the rate 
of change is rapid. 

Great Lakes - The five connected lakes along the 
border of the U.S. and Canada. They are Lake Ontario, 
Lake Erie, Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, and Lake 
Huron. 

Green Cemeteries - Help conserve land, water 
and other resources. Embalming, metal caskets 
and concrete burial vaults are prohibited. Instead, 
biodegradable caskets, usually made of wood or 
cardboard, or burial shrouds of natural fibers are 
used. Green cemetery graves are placed randomly 
throughout a woodland or meadow, and marked only 
in natural ways, with the planting of a tree or shrub, or 
the placement of a flat indigenous stone, which may 
or may not be engraved. Burial locations are mapped 
with a GIS (geographic information system), so future 
generations can locate an ancestor’s final resting 
place. 

Green Infrastructure - Urban, suburban and rural 
natural areas, such as greenways, parks, trails, 
waterways, wetlands, woodlands, and wildlife habitats. 
These areas support native species, maintain 
ecological processes, sustain air and water resources, 
and contribute to the health and quality of life of people 
and the sustainability of communities. 

Green Technology - A technology that offers a more 
environmentally friendly solution compared to an 
existing technology. 

Greenfield - Those sites, in both rural and urban 
areas, which have not experienced previous 
development. It also includes forestry and agricultural 
land and buildings, as well as previously developed 


sites that have now blended into the natural landscape 
over time. 

Greenhouse Gas - A gas, such as carbon dioxide 
or methane, which contributes to potential climate 
change. 

Greyfields - A term coined by Andreas Duany, are 
those developed lands that have become obsolescent. 
Obsolescence results when the uses for which they 
were originally developed have begun to depart, 
surrounding community development is incompatible, 
infrastructure standards have changed, or the market 
demand for land-use has changed, but the site cannot 
adjust. 

Ground Water - The supply of fresh water found 
beneath the Earth’s surface, usually in aquifers, which 
supply wells and springs. Because ground water is 
a major source of drinking water, there is growing 
concern over contamination from leaching agricultural 
or industrial pollutants or leaking underground storage 
tanks. 

Groundwater Recharge - The process whereby 
infiltrating rain, snowmelt or surface water enters and 
replenishes the ground water stores. 

Growth Inhibition - A substance that inhibits the 
growth of an organism. The inhibitory effect can range 
from mild inhibition (growth retardation) to severe 
inhibition or death (toxic reaction). Two plant growth 
regulators that may act as inhibitors are ethylene and 
abscisic acid. The concentration of the inhibitor, the 
length of exposure to it, and the relative susceptibility 
of the organisms exposed to the inhibitor, are all . 
important factors which determine the extent of the 
inhibitory effect. 

Habitat - The environment in which an individual, 
population, community or species lives. 

Habitat Fragmentation - The piecemeal disassembly 
of terrestrial habitats into discontinuous, oftentimes 
isolated, patches as a consequence of development. 

Its adverse effects are cumulative and not immediately 
noticeable. Habitat fragmentation stems from habitat 
loss. 

Habitat Loss - The outright destruction of habitat, 
such as filling a wetland or channelizing a section of 
stream. Its impacts upon biological communities are 
immediate and catastrophic. 

Health Hazard - A chemical, mixture of chemicals or 
a pathogen for which there is statistically significant 


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Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 




Glossary 


evidence, based on at least one study conducted 
in accordance with established scientific principles 
that acute or chronic effects may occur in exposed 
individuals. 

Heartland - Twenty-nine states (including DC) that 
have in common relatively modest growth levels 
and populations that are largely white or white and 
African American. Heartland states comprise thirty 
nine percent of the U.S. population. They include 
all northeastern and Midwestern states that are not 
classed as “Melting Pots,” and selected southern and 
western states that are lagging in population growth. It 
is eighty-one percent white and twelve percent black, 
where blacks are primarily located in the region’s 
industrial cities. Only about fourteen percent of the 
nation’s Asian and Hispanic 1990s gains came to the 
Heartland, but this small infusion of minorities helped 
to stem losses in several of its declining cities (Frey, 
2000 ). 

Herbicide - Chemicals used to kill undesirable 
vegetation. 

Hispanics - Hispanics or Latinos are persons of 
Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central and South 
American, and other or unknown Latin American or 
Spanish origins. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of 
any race. 

Holistic - Of, concerned with, or dealing with wholes 
or integrated systems rather than with their parts. 

With respect to environmental.issues, the term most 
typically describes an analytical and planning approach 
that examines and considers the inter-related linkages 
and interdependencies of a socioeconomic system with 
resource use, pollution, environmental impacts, and 
preservation of an entire ecosystem. 

Homeostasis - (1) An important process or 
mechanisms of an organism (perhaps biotic 
community) for regulation (perhaps pre-disposed self¬ 
regulation) toward a constant or standard condition. 

All communities, except possibly the very simplest 
types, appear to contain regulatory mechanisms that 
enable them to adjust to the changing conditions of 
their physical environments. (2) The maintenance of a 
high degree of uniformity in functions of an organism or 
interactions of individuals in a population or community 
under changing environmental conditions. The constant 
function or status that results from the capabilities of 
organisms to make compensatory adjustments. 

Hormonal Processes - Body processes influenced by 
hormones that happen slowly (such as growth of bone 


and other body tissues, milk production in women who 
are breastfeeding, and ovulation and the menstrual 
cycle in women). 

Human Demand - Human use of natural resources 
for growing crops, grazing animals, harvesting timber, 
accommodating infrastructure, absorbing C02 
produced by burning fossil fuels, and marine fishing. 

Human Ecology - An academic discipline that deals 
with the relationship between humans and their 
(natural) environment. Human ecology investigates 
how humans and human societies interact with nature 
and with their environment. Human ecology views 
human communities and human populations as part of 
the ecosystem of earth. 

Human Health - A state of complete physical, mental, 
and social well-being and not merely the absence of 
disease or infirmity. The health of a whole community 
or population is reflected in measurements of disease 
incidence and prevalence, age-specific death rates, 
and life expectancy. 

Human Health Effect - A change in health condition 
(i.e., reproductive, developmental, behavioral, 
neurological, and immunologic) brought about by a 
cause or agent (e.g., environmental toxins). 

Hydrology - The science of water relating to 
occurrence, properties, distribution, circulation and 
transport of water. 

Hypertension - Also known as high blood pressure. 

A disease characterized by blood pressure above 
160/95. Individuals with high blood pressure are at 
risk for kidney disease, heart disease and stroke. 
Hypertension can be treated with medication, exercise, 
and diet. 

Impervious Surface - Impervious surfaces are mainly 
constructed surfaces—rooftops, sidewalks, roads, and 
parking lots—covered by impenetrable materials such 
as asphalt, concrete, brick, and stone. These materials 
seal surfaces, repel water and prevent precipitation 
and melt water from infiltrating soils. Soils compacted 
by urban development are also highly impervious. 

Indian Health Service (IHS) - Provides 
compiehensive health services through IHS and 
tribally contracted hospitals, health centers, school 
health centers, and health stations. Health services 
provided include medical, dental, and environmental 
health programs. Special program concentrations 
are in disease prevention and health promotion, 
alcoholism, substance abuse, suicide, accidents, 


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Appendix D 


maternal and child health, nutrition, and public health 
services. 

Indigenous - Native to an area, occurring naturally. 

Infectious Disease - Disease resulting from presence 
of disease-causing organisms or agents, such 
as bacteria, viruses and parasitic worms which is 
transmittable directly or indirectly by a person, animal, 
arthropod, or through the agency of an intermediate 
hose, vector, or the inanimate environment to another 
person. . 

Infill - A compact form of development that utilizes 
vacant urban land areas within the existing boundaries 
of a city, rather than development at the fringes that 
can consume farmlands, wetlands, and other resource 
lands. 

Infrastructure - Those systems under public 
ownership, or operated or maintained for public 
benefit that are necessary to support development, 
maintenance, and redevelopment and to protect 
the public health, safety, and welfare. Infrastructure 
includes capital improvement projects such as 
transportation systems (including sidewalks, bike 
paths, and wheelchair access), water supplies, sewage 
collection and treatment, and other services that 
involve a capital expenditure. 

Inner Suburbs - Older suburbs that ring Chicago, 
Cleveland, Philadelphia, Seattle, Miami, San Francisco 
and otjner big cities. Like the inner cities before them, 
the nation’s inner suburbs are becoming rundown, 
unfashionable and obsolete. Shopping centers are 
boarded up. The aluminum-sided houses seem worn 
and cramped. Factories have closed, and businesses 
and people have moved farther out to burgeoning 
“edge cities” with their bigger houses, wider yards, 
fancier mails and glistening office parks. 

Institutional Care - A set of health care, personal 
care and social services required by persons who 
. have lost, or never acquired, some degree of functional 
capacity (e.g., the chronically ill, aged, disabled, or 
retarded) in long-term institutional care such as that 
provided in nursing homes, homes for the retarded and 
mental hospitals. 

Interstate Migration - A move that has its origin in 
one state and its destination in another. 

Intrastate Migration - A move that has its origin, 
destination and entire transportation within a single 
state. 


Invasive Species - Native or non-native plants, 
animals, and other organisms (e.g., microbes) which 
threaten ecosystems, habitats or species through 
unrestrained population growth. 

Land Grant - A gift of land made by the government 
for projects such as roads, railroads, or especially 
academic institutions. In the past (the 1700s), they 
were given for the purpose of establishing settlements, 
missions, and farms. During the 1800s, four out of 
five of the transcontinental railroads in the U.S. were 
built using land grants, as was the Canadian Pacific 
Railway. Regarding academia, the Morrill Acts of 1862 
and 1890 have given nearly 100 U.S. colleges and 
universities acres of public land, which in turn were 
sold by the institutions and the proceeds placed into 
endowment funds to provide them financial support in 
creating and sustaining agricultural and mechanical 
academic programs. 

Landpooling - Market-based techniques that 
acknowledge the development value of some 
farmlands and help the farmer participate in those 
gains. They are private enterprises that must function 
within a general structure of growth management 
institutions that protect the public interest. Experience 
is limited to several cases in Europe and Australia. 

Landscape - The traits, patterns, and structure of 
a specific geographic area, including its biological 
composition, its physical environment, and its 
anthropogenic or social patterns. An area where 
interacting ecosystems are grouped and repeated in 
similar form. 

Landscape Ecology - The study of the distribution 
patterns of communities and ecosystems, the 
ecological processes that affect those patterns, and 
changes in pattern and process over time. 

Land-use - The way land is developed and used in 
terms of the kinds of anthropogenic activities that occur 
(e.g., agriculture, residential areas, industrial areas). 

Larvae - Refers to the juvenile stage of most 
invertebrates, amphibians, and fish, which all hatch 
from eggs. It is unlike the adult in form and is usually 
incapable of sexual reproduction. It develops into the 
adult by undergoing metamorphosis. Examples are the 
tadpoles of frogs or caterpillars of butterflies. 

Latitudinal Comparisons - Comparisons of 
populations between different geographic zones (e.g., 
temperate and tropical, Florida and the western U.S., 
or the U.S.'and Sweden). 


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Glossary 


Lever Fixtures - A lever has the same function as a 
knob, except it is longer and thinner. To open a door, 
levers are pushed down. Besides the decorative uses 
of a lever, they are also used in applications where 
someone is handicapped, and cannot grasp a knob 
very well. 

Leverage - Using given resources in such a way 
that the potential positive or negative outcome is 
magnified. A method of grant making practiced by 
some foundations and individual donors. Leverage 
occurs when a small amount of money Is given with 
the express purpose of attracting funding from other 
sources or of providing the organization with the tools it 
needs to raise other kinds of funds; sometimes known 
as the “multiplier effect.” 

Life Coach - A counselor who applies mentoring, 
values assessment, behavior modification, behavior 
modeling, goal-setting, and other techniques in 
assisting clients in transitions in their personal life and 
in the process of self-actualization. Life coaching draws 
from a number of disciplines, including sociology, 
psychology, career counseling, and numerous other 
types of counseling. Coaches tend to specialize 
in one or more of several areas: career coaching, 
transition coaching, life or personal coaching, executive 
coaching, small business coaching, and organizational 
or corporate coaching. Some life coaches extend 
their services beyond the personal into interpersonal, 
familial, and organizational realms, advising clients on 
the best methods of maximizing effectiveness in these 
areas as well. 

Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) - A process to 
evaluate the environmental burdens associated with 
a product, process, or activity by identifying and 
quantifying energy and material used and wastes 
released to the environment; to assess the impact of 
those energy and material uses and releases to the 
environment; and to identify and evaluate opportunities 
to affect environmental improvements. LCA addresses 
environmental impacts under study in the areas 
of ecological health, human health, and resource 
depletion. It does not address economic considerations 
or social effects. Additionally, like all other scientific 
models, LCA is a simplification of the physical system 
and cannot claim to provide an absolute and.complete 
representation of every environmental interaction. 

Liquidation - The process of converting stock or other 
assets into cash. 

Long-Term Care - Services that are provided in a 
setting other than an acute care unit of a Hospital. 


Long-term Care may include Skilled Nursing Care, 
Intermediate Care, Custodial Care, Nursing Facility 
Care, Alternate Facility Care, Home Care, Home 
Health Care, Adult Day Care, and Respite Care. 

Loons - Loons are powerful, streamlined birds with 
red eyes, greenish-black head, long tapered beak and 
black and white checkerboard plumage. There are five 
species of loons that exist in the northern hemisphere: 
the common loon, Pacific loon, Arctic loon, yellow¬ 
billed loon, and the red-throated loon. 

Marginally Productive Land - Land that is 
unproductive for human use (e.g., covered by ice, with 
unsuitable soil condition or lacks water). 

Market Survey - The collection and analysis of data 
from potential sources to determine the capability 
of satisfying a requirement. The testing of the 
marketplace may range from written or telephone 
contact with knowledgeable experts regarding 
similar requirements, to the more formal Request for 
Information. 

Marketer - A person whose job involves persuading 
consumers to buy what producers want to sell. 

Master Plan, Comprehensive Plan, or Future 
Land Use Plan - These are three of many common 
terms used to describe a plan prepared by a 
planning commission to guide future land use and 
infrastructure decisions in the community according 
to the procedures and requirements of the applicable 
planning enabling act. A plan prepared under these 
acts has a long-term focus of at least twenty years; 
is required to be reviewed at least once every five 
years; and includes analysis, recommendations, and 
proposals for the community’s population, economy, 
housing, transportation, community facilities, services, 
and future land use. 

Media - One of the major categories of material found 
in the physical environment that surrounds or contacts 
organisms, e.g., surface water, ground water, soil, or 
air, and through which chemicals or pollutants can 
move and reach the organisms. 

Median - The middle data value in a set of 
observations. To find the median, re-order the 
data from smallest to largest and find the middle 
observation; that is the median. If there is an even 
number of observations, then there will be two middle 
values; in that case, the average of those two middle 
values is the median. 


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Appendix D 


Melting Pot - The nine states that comprise the 
Melting Pot (AK, CA, FL, HI, IL, NJ, NY, NM, and TX) 
contain 41% of the population. More importantly, 74% 
of the nation’s Asian and Hispanic origin populations 
live in these states. These states grew 13% in the 
1990’s, with 76% of the growth coming from Asians 
and Hispanics. The suburbs in the melting pot states 
are almost as diverse as the urban cities in these 
areas. The suburbs and cities in the melting pot 
states will have more in common with other cities and 
suburbs in the melting pot than with cities and suburbs 
in other regions of the country due to their diversity. 

In addition to immigration, the out migration of middle 
class Anglos and African Americans from these states 
has affected their population mix. These populations 
are being replaced by middle class Asians and 
Hispanics whose families actually have stronger family 
structures and more “traditional values” than their 
predecessors in these communities (Frey, 2001). 

Mental Model - An individual’s existing understanding 
and interpretation about themselves, others, the 
environment, and the things with which they interact, 
which is formed and reformed on the basis of 
experiences, beliefs, values, socio-cultural histories, 
and prior perceptions. Our mental models affect how 
we interpret new concepts and events. Very often we 
are not consciously aware of our mental models or the 
effects they have on our behavior. 

Meta-Analysis - Research on the research. More than 
a literature review, meta-analysis looks for different 
methodologies and measures from different people or 
institutions that have published research on a particular 
topic. After a multitude of studies on a particular 
subject have been reviewed, meta-analysis enables 
the researcher to combine the results of several 
studies (using quantifiable data) in order to arrive at a 
conclusion on the topic. A researcher systematically 
inventories current research on a given topic and 
integrates the theories to arrive at a conclusion that is 
the sum of all the research he/she analyzed. 

Methylmercury - An organic form of mercury that 
is highly toxic and is the main culprit in mercury 
poisoning. Methylmercury is easily absorbed into 
the living tissue of aquatic organisms, is not easily 
eliminated, and therefore accumulates in fish that are 
predators. The degree to which mercury is transformed 
• into methylmercury and transferred up the food chain 
through bioaccumulation depends on factors such as 
water chemistry and the complexity of the food web. 
Methylmercury is highly toxic to mammals, including 
people, and causes a number of adverse effects. The 
brain is the most sensitive organ. The population at 


highest risk is the children of women who consume 
large amounts of fish and seafood during pregnancy. 
The risk to that population is likely to be sufficient to 
result in an increase in the number of children who 
have to struggle to keep up in school and who might 
require remedial classes or special education because 
of brain damage. 

Metric - Often used interchangeably with 
measurements. However, it is helpful to separate these 
definitions. Metrics are the various parameters or ways 
of looking at a process that is to be measured. Metrics 
define what is to be measured. 

Metropolitan Hierarchy - A growing recognition of a 
hierarchy of smaller cities and towns within some large 
metropolitan areas. The hierarchy moves from large 
cities to smaller cities, and from large suburban areas 
to smaller suburban areas. 

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) - A county or 
group of contiguous counties that contains at least 
one urbanized center of 50,000 or more population. 

In addition to the county or counties that contain all or 
part of the urbanized area, the MSA may contain other 
counties that are metropolitan in character and that are 
economically and socially integrated with the main city. 
In New England, cities and towns, rather than counties, 
are used to define MSAs. Counties that are not within 
an MSA are considered to be nonmetropolitan (OMB). 

Microcosm - A miniature model of something. 

Microgram - One-millionth of a gram. One gram is 
about one twenty-eighth of an ounce. 

Micropolitan Statistical Area - A non-metropolitan 
county or group of contiguous nonmetropolitan counties 
that contains an urban cluster of 10,000 to 49,000 
persons. A Micropolitan statistical area may include 
surrounding counties if there are strong economic ties 
between the counties, based on commuting patterns. 

In New England, cities and towns, rather than counties, 
are used to define Micropolitan statistical areas. 
Nonmetropolitan counties that are not classified as 
part of a Micropolitan statistical area are considered 
nonmicropolitan (OMB). 

Mixed Use Development - A tract of land with 
two or more different uses (e.g., residential, office, 
manufacturing, retail, public, or entertainment). It may 
also include different housing types and price ranges. 

Model - A representation of reality used to simulate a 
process, understand a situation, predict an outcome, or 
analyze a problem. 


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Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC . 




Glossary 


Montane - 1 ) Of, growing in, or inhabiting mountain 
areas. 2) The biogeographic zone of relatively moist 
cool upland slopes below timberline. It is characterized 
by large evergreen trees as a dominant life form. 

Morbidity - The rate of disease or proportion of 
diseased people in a population. In common clinical 
usage, any disease state, including diagnosis and 
complications is referred to as morbidity. 

Mortality - A measure of the incidence of deaths in a 
given population. 

Multi-racial - The terms multiracial, biracial and 
mixed-race describe people whose ancestors are not 
of a single race. (Biracial strictly refers to those with 
ancestors from exactly two races). One example might 
be a'person with an Asian mother and African father. 
Another might be the Mestizo people of Mexico (and 
other Latin American countries) who are descended 
from Spanish and indigenous ancestors. It is 
sometimes a matter of opinion if people are mixed-race, 
because races themselves are not clearly defined. This 
has caused some problems for census-takers. 

Municipality - A city, borough, town, township, county, 
institution district, or village that enjoys self-government 
in local matters. 

n4a (National Association of Area Aging Agencies) 

-The umbrella organization for the 655 area agencies 
on aging (AAAs) and more than 230 Title VI Native 
American aging programs in the U.S. Through its 
presence in Washington, D.C., n4a advocates on 
behalf of the local aging agencies to ensure that 
needed resources and support services are available 
to older Americans. The fundamental mission of the 
AAAs and Title VI programs is to provide services 
which make it possible for older individuals to remain 
in their home, thereby preserving their independence 
and dignity. These agencies coordinate and support a 
wide range of home- and community-based services, 
including information and referral, home-delivered 
and congregate meals, transportation, employment 
services, senior centers, adult day care and a long-term 
care ombudsman program. 

Native Peoples - Also known as indigenous 
communities, peoples and nations are those which, 
having a historical continuity with pre-invasion and pre¬ 
colonial societies that developed on their territories, 
consider themselves distinct from other sectors of the 
societies now prevailing in those territories, or parts of 
them. 


Native Wildlife - A broad term that includes 
nondomesticated vertebrates, especially mammals, 
birds, and fish that are native to a particular 
geographic area. 

Natural Amenity - An attribute of the physical 
environment (as opposed to the social or economic 
environment) that enhances a location as a place of 
residence. 

Natural Capital - Nature’s goods and services (e.g., 
healthy food, energy for mobility and heat, fiber for 
paper, clothing and shelter, fresh air, and clean water). 

Natural Disturbance - A disturbance (e.g. fire, insect 
outbreak, flood) that is caused by nature rather than 
human actions. 

Natural Lighting - A method of bringing natural 
sunlight into buildings. 

Natural Scientists - Scientists who study the 
physical, nonhuman aspects of the Earth and 
the universe around us. Natural sciences include 
Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, 
Ecology, Geology and Physics. 

Neurotoxicity - The quality of being destructive of or 
poisonous to the tissues of the nervous system. 

New Sunbelt - An area of 13 states that contains 
only about 20% of the population. It includes the 
states growing the fastest by domestic migration. 
These areas are particularly growing in young adults 
and retiree populations. Also in this region, the fastest 
growing areas are suburbs, exurbs and smaller metro 
areas. States in the New Sunbelt include AZ, CO, DE, 
GA, ID, NC, NV, OR, SC, TN, UT, VA, WA (Frey, 2001). 

New West - the mountainous areas of the West 
(Utah, Nevada, Colorado). 

Nexus - Link: the means of connection between 
things linked in series. 

NOAA - National Oceanographic and Atmospheric 
Administration. 

Noncommodity Values - Benefits that cannot be 
packaged and.sold, such as wilderness, aesthetics, 
appreciating and protecting nature, providing wildlife 
habitat, and providing opportunities for personal 
recreation (as opposed to commodities such as timber 
and minerals). 

Nondurable good - A good bought by consumers 
that tends to last for less than a year. Common 


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Appendix D 


examples are food and clothing. The notable thing 
about nondurable goods is that consumers tend to 
continue buying them regardless of the ups and downs 
of the business cycle. 

Non-Government Organization (NGO) - A non¬ 
profit group or association organized outside of 
institutionalized political structures to realize particular 
social objectives (such as environmental protection) 
or serve particular constituencies (such as indigenous 
peoples). NGO activities range from research, 
information distribution, training, local organization, 
and community service to legal advocacy, lobbying 
for legislative change, and civil disobedience. NGO’s 
range in size from small groups within a particular 
community to huge membership groups with a national 
or international scope. 

Nonmetropolitan Areas - Areas that are outside the 
boundaries of metro areas and have no cities with as 
many as 50,000 residents. 

Northern Pike - An elongated fish capable of growing 
more than three feet long and weighing greater than 
twenty pounds. The range of the northern pike is , 
extensive, having a range greater than any other 
freshwater gamefish. Pike can be found throughout 
the northern half of North America. Pike prefer clear, 
shallow, vegetated areas of lakes and larger rivers. 

Pike are rarely found in areas lacking stumps, aquatic 
vegetation, or other cover. 

Nutrients - Essential inorganic chemicals (e.g., 
nitrogen and phosphorus) needed by plants for growth. 
Excessive amounts of nutrients (eutrophication) can 
lead to degradation of water quality by promoting 
excessive growth, accumulation, and subsequent 
decay of plants, especially algae (phytoplankton). 

NYSOFA (New York State Office for the Aging) 

-The designated State Unit on Aging under the Older 
Americans Act of 1965. NYSOFA helps older New 
Yorkers to be as independent as possible for as long as 
possible through advocacy, development and delivery 
of cost-effective policies, programs and services which 
support and empower the elderly and their families, 
in partnership with the network of public and private 
organizations which serve them. 

Old-Old - A sub-group of the elderly population that 
researchers often use to refer to persons 85 years old 
and older. 

Open Space - Any open land that is predominantly 
lacking in built structural development. Open space 
includes natural areas, wetlands and open water, 


wildlife habitats, areas of managed production of 
resources such as farmlands and grazing areas, open 
areas requiring special management or regulation 
to protect public health and safety, and outdoor 
recreational areas. The term “open space” does not 
imply public access or ownership. 

Oratory - Addressing an audience formally (usually a 
long and rhetorical address and often pompous); “he 
loved the sound of his own oratory.” 

ORD - EPA’s Office of Research and Development. 

Ordinance - A written regulation or law enacted by 
the legislative body of a county, city or town regulating 
such matters as zoning, building, safety, matters of 
municipality, etc. 

Out-migration - To move out of one community, 
region, or country in order to reside in another. 

Outside the Box - To think differently. Thinking 
outside the box requires different attributes that 
include: Willingness to take new perspectives to day- 
to-day work; openness to do different things and to 
do things differently; focusing on the value of finding 
new ideas and acting on them; striving to create value 
in new ways; listening to others; and supporting and 
respecting others when they come up with new ideas. 
Out-of-the box thinking requires openness to new ways 
of seeing the world and a willingness to explore. Out- 
of-the box thinkers know that new ideas need nurturing 
and support. They also know that having an idea is 
good but acting on it is more important. Results are 
what count. 

Overlay - In traditional cartography, a drawing or 
graphic compilation of geographically related data 
symbolized on transparent or translucent material, 
usually in register with a base map. One or more 
overlays of information in register combine to form a 
map manuscript. In automated cartography, overlays 
will normally be digital map files which can be 
registered and combined to form a complete map. 

Overshoot - The extent to which a population exceeds 
the carrying capacity of its environment. 

Ozone - Found in two layers of the atmosphere, the 
stratosphere and the troposphere. In the stratosphere 
(the atmospheric layer 7 to 10 miles or more above 
the earth’s surface) ozone is a natural form of oxygen 
that provides a protective layer shielding the earth 
from ultraviolet radiation. In the troposphere (the layer 
extending up 7 to 10 miles from the earth’s surface), 
ozone is a chemical oxidant and major component 


164 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 




Glossary 


of photochemical smog. It can seriously impair the 
respiratory system and is one of the most wide¬ 
spread of all the criteria pollutants for which the Clean 
Air Act required EPA to set standards. Ozone in the 
troposphere is produced through complex chemical 
reactions of nitrogen oxides, which are among the 
primary pollutants emitted by combustion sources; 
hydrocarbons, released into the atmosphere through 
the combustion, handling and processing of petroleum 
products; and sunlight. 

Paratransit - A demand-responsive system that 
applies to a variety of smaller, flexibly scheduled and 
routed transportation services using low-capacity 
vehicles. Primarily used by persons for whom use of 
standard mass transit services is difficult or impossible 
(e.g., individuals with disabilities and senior citizens). 

Particulate Matter - Any material that exists as solid 
or liquid in the atmosphere that is less than 10 microns. 
Particulate matter may be in the form of fly ash, soot, 
dust, fog, fumes etc. Sources of particulate matter 
include diesel trucks and power plants. 

Partners - Organizations or individuals who work 
cooperatively to achieve mutually agreed upon 
objectives and intermediate results and to secure 
stakeholder participation. Partners include non¬ 
governmental organizations, universities, federal, state 
and local government agencies, professional and 
business associations, and private businesses. 

Partners for Livable Communities (PLC) - A non¬ 
profit leadership organization working to improve the 
livability of communities by promoting quality of life, 
economic development, and social equity. Since its 
founding in 1977, PLC has helped communities set a 
common vision for the future, discover and use new 
resources for community and economic development 
and build public/private coalitions to further their goals. 
PLC promotes livable communities through technical 
assistance, leadership training, workshops, charettes, 
research and publications. More than 1,200 individuals 
and groups from local, state, national, international, 
public and private and media organizations make up 
PLCs’ resource network and share innovative ideas on 
livability and community improvement. 

Per Capita - A Latin phrase literally meaning “by 
heads,” and translated as “for each person.” It is 
a common unit for expressing data in statistics. A 
country’s per capita personal income, for example, is 
the average personal income per person. 

Permaculture — A sustainable farming method that 
strives to create a naturally balanced ecosystem that 


feeds the farmer’s needs while being self-sustaining. 
The method takes edible landscaping a few steps 
further: not only does it feed the farmer; its goal is 
also to provide fuel, materials for shelter and home, 
and habitat for livestock. Native plant species are 
used whenever possible and when they are not, 
species are chosen for their compatibility with the local 
environment. 

Permitted uses - Exceptions built into a zoning 
category that permit certain uses within the category, 
without any further required proceedings. For example, 
a'single-family residential district (an R-1 zone) may 
permit, by exception, the development of a day care 
center, a park, or a school. 

Pesticides - A general term used to describe 
chemical substances that are used to destroy or 
control insect or plant pests. 

Pharmaceuticals - Substances that are aimed to 
cure, prevent, or recognize diseases and relieve pains 

through their application in the organism. 

• 

Pharmacokinetics - Refers to the study of the 
metabolism and action of drugs, with particular 
emphasis on the time required for absorption, duration 
of action, distribution in the body, and excretion. 

Planner - Anyone who plans, e.g., a city planner, 
economic planner, public health planner, social 
planner, or landscape planner. One whose profession 
consists of identifying community needs, resources 
and the means to reduce the difference between 
a desired or imagined condition and the present 
status. One who assist citizens in making decisions 
on programs, and methods to create a physical, 
economic, and social environment in which the human 
conditions, activities, and benefits desired by the 
members of the community may flourish. 

Plenary - Plenary carries with it the meaning of full, 
complete, or entire. In terms of a meeting or workshop, 
it means an open session, where all attendees are 
present. 

Politician - A person engaged in politics, especially 
party politics, professionally or otherwise. Often, a 
person holding or seeking political office. 

Pollutant Transport - The movement of pollutants, 
by the wind or water, long distances from the original 
emission sources. Pollutant transport is an important 
issue because it creates regional pollution problems, 
rather than simply affecting the local area where the 
pollutant is emitted. 


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Appendix D 


Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) - Any 

of a class of carcinogenic organic molecules that 
consist of three or more rings containing carbon 
and hydrogen and that are commonly produced 
by fossil fuel combustion. Examples of polycyclic 
aromatic hydrocarbons are naphthalene, anthracene, 
phenanthrene, pyrene, benzopyrene, and coronene. 

Population - 1. All of the people inhabiting a specified 
area. 2. The total number of inhabitants constituting a 
particular race, class, or group in a specified area. 3. 
Ecology. All the organisms that constitute a specific 
group or occur in a specified habitat. 4. Statistics. The 
set of individuals, items, or data from which a statistical 
sample is taken. Also called universe. 

Population Density - Is usually expressed in terms 
of items or organisms per unit area. For human 
beings, population density is the number of persons 
per unit of area (which may include or exclude inland 
water), though it may also be expressed in relation 
to habitable, inhabited, productive (or potentially 
productive) or cultivated area. It is frequently measured 
in persons per square mile or persons per square 
kilometer or hectare, which can be obtained simply 
by dividing the number of persons by the land area 
measured in square miles or in square kilometers 
or hectares. Commonly this may be calculated for a 
county, city, country or the entire world. In the country 
articles the density is based on land area. 

Primitivism - A wild or unrefined state. 

Private Sector - A short-cut term that combines the 
households and businesses in the economy into a 
single group. This term should be contrasted directly 
with public sector, which is a comparable short-cut 
term for government. The distinction between private 
sector and public sector reflects the two basic methods 
of answering the three questions of allocation- 
markets and government. Markets make use of private 
ownership and control of resources (hence the term 
“private” sector) for voluntary allocation decisions. 

Projections - Different ways of projecting the surface 
of the globe onto a flat screen or sheet of paper. The 
choice of a projection can influence how the world 
is perceived. Different projections possess different 
qualities, including accuracy in terms of Area, Direction 
or Distance. 

Public Health - The science and practice of 
protecting and improving the health of a community, 
as by preventive medicine, health education, 
control of communicable diseases, application of 
sanitary measures, and monitoring of environmental 


hazards. The three core public health functions are: 
the assessment and monitoring of the health of 
communities and populations at risk to identify health 
problems and priorities; the formulation of public 
policies designed to solve identified local and national 
health problems and priorities; and to assure that all 
populations have access to appropriate and cost- 
effective care, including health promotion and disease 
prevention services, and evaluation of the effectiveness 
of that care. 

Public Lands - Land owned by the federal government 
but not reserved for any special purpose, e.g., for 
a park or a military reservation. Public land is also 
called land in the public domain. Except in Texas, 
which made retention of its public lands one of the 
conditions for joining the Union, there are no state 
public lands. Seven of the original states ceded 
their western lands to the federal government when 
they entered the Union. Additional public land was 
acquired with the Louisiana Purchase (1803), Florida 
(1819), Oregon (1846), the Mexican Cession (1848), 
the Gadsden Purchase (1853), and Alaska (1867). 
Almost as soon as public land was acquired the federal 
government began to dispose of it through grants to 
states, railroad companies, settlers (see Homestead 
Act, 1862), colleges (see land-grant colleges and 
universities), and cash sales. It was charged that large 
companies frequently acquired extensive holdings 
by dishonest means, and many of the new owners 
obtained considerable revenue by selling the land. 

A reaction to this easy policy set in toward the end 
of the 19th century and steps were taken to ensure 
the conservation of natural resources by withdrawing 
public lands from sale. Thereafter the government 
leased such land for grazing, lumbering, mining, the 
harnessing of waterpower, and other purposes, while 
maintaining regulatory control. By the 1970s there was 
considerable controversy over the need to make the 
best use of the public land’s valuable resources while 
still preserving the land for future use and expanded 
recreational activities. Most of the nation’s remaining 
public land is in the western part of the country, about 
half of it in Alaska. 

Public Sector - That part of economic and 
administrative life that deals with the delivery of goods 
and services by and for the government, whether 
national, regional or local/municipal. Examples of public 
sector activity range from delivering social security, 
administering urban planning and organizing national 
defenses. 

Public Transit - A public transportation system using 
buses, subways, light rail, commuter rail, monorail, 


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Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 




Glossary 


passenger ferry boats, trolleys, inclined railways, or 
people movers. An effective public transit system 
provides convenient, low-cost mobility for people who 
cannot, or choose not to, drive a motor vehicle. 

Publicly-Owned Company - A company that is 
owned by shareholders and is publicly traded. 

Pueblo [Spanish for “town,” “village,” “settlement,” 
“people” or “nation”] - An Indian village in the American 
Southwest. A member of any of about two dozen 
Native American peoples. Probably derives from 
the practice of most ancient Southwestern cultures 
and many modern American Indian tribes to call 
themselves “the people” in their own language. 

Pull Factors - Events or features that pull people 
towards another area (and so are perceived as 
good). Examples of pull factors influencing senior 
migration include: recreation amenities; climate and 
terrain preferences; availability of support services; 
opportunities for social or community participation; 
location of family; and ambience (including such 
other factors as more rural environment or smaller 
population size). 

Push Factors - Events or features of the place in 
which people live that are pushing them away from that 
area (and so are perceived as bad). Examples of push 
factors influencing senior migration include: retirement; 
desire to get away from cold weather; personal health/ 
health care needs; life disruptions or critical events; 
financial considerations; housing needs; neighborhood 
conditions and socioeconomic status. 

Qualitative Dimensions - Related to quality, a 
subjective analysis. 

Quality of Life - A term used to describe the 
noneconomic amenities a community has to offer, 
including clean air and water, safe streets, good . 
schools, and scenic views. Retired migrants appear 
to define quality of life as a mosaic of amenities which 
include the perception of increased personal space, 
toward geographic areas that are less congested, 
aesthetics of the natural environment, climate, and the 
potential for recreation nearby. 

Quantitative Dimensions - Related to quantity, value, 
or amount. 

Rainbow Trout - A species of freshwater fish 
belonging to the salmon family, typically 12-18 inches 
in length. This trout is an olive-green color with heavy 
black spotting over the length of the body. The adult 
fish has a red-colored stripe along the lateral line, from 


the gills to the tail. Rainbow trout in lakes are usually 
lighter colored or a more silvery color than those in 
streams. 

RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) 

- 42 U.S.C. s/s 6901 et seq. (1976), gave EPA the 
authority to control hazardous waste from the “cradle- 
to-grave.”This includes the generation, transportation, 
treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. 
RCRA also set forth a framework for the management 
of non-hazardous wastes. 

Recreational Amenities - Features that increase 
attractiveness or value, especially of a piece of real 
estate or a geographic location (e.g., clubhouse, pools, 
covered picnic areas for family gatherings, lots of open 
space, golf, fitness centers, and jogging/hiking/walking/ 
biking trails). 

Recycle/Reuse - Minimizing waste generation by 
recovering and reprocessing usable products that 
might otherwise become waste (i.e. recycling of 
aluminum cans, paper, and bottles, etc.). 

Redevelopment - Renovation of a previously 
developed parcel of land or building site in order to 
allow a new or more-viable use or uses to replace the 
previous land-use. These sites typically are found in 
urban areas that previously had experienced economic 
and physical deterioration, but that now are the focus 
of renewal efforts. 

Regenerative Capacity - A measure of the ability to 
re-establish on a new, usually improved, basis or make 
new or like new. 

Renewable Resource - A natural resource that 
can be increased either automatically through the 
natural forces of the environment or through actions 
undertaken by people. The quantities of renewable 
resources are not fixed and thus the amounts available 
for use tomorrow can be increased. Efficient use of 
renewable resources requires a balance between 
the rate of use and the rate of renewal. It is possible 
to efficiently use renewable resources indefinitely. 
However, such resources can also be exhausted if 
the rate of use exceeds the rate of renewal. Common 
examples of renewable resources are plant life, animal 
life, clean air, and clean water. 

Reservation - Public land set-aside in trust for the use 
of Native Americans. 

Resident population - Includes persons whose usual 
place of residence (that is, the place where one usually 
lives and sleeps) is one of the 50 states or the District 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


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Appendix D 


of Columbia. It includes members of the Armed Forces 
stationed in the U.S. and their families. It excludes 
international military, naval and diplomatic personnel 
and their families located in this country and residing 
in embassies or similar quarters. Also excluded are 
international workers and international students living 
in this country and Americans living abroad. The 
resident population is the denominator for calculating 
birth and death rates and incidence of disease. 

Resource Extraction - Refers to the practice of 
locating, acquiring and selling any resource, but 
typically a natural resource (e.g., mining ore, cutting 
trees for timber, and commercial fishing). 

Restoration - The practice of returning an object or 
building to its appearance at a particular time period. 
Restoration may include the removal of additions and 
alterations made after the particular time period, and 
reconstruction of missing earlier features. Ecosystem 
restoration involves the repair of ecological damage to 
an ecosystem so that it is close to the natural condition 
prior to a disturbance and it can function as a normal 
self-regulating system. This is done through processes 
such as chemical cleanups, revegetation, and the 
reintroduction of native species. 

Restorative Development - A fast-growing 
economic sector that restores value to a piece of 
property, a neighborhood or a community. Restorative 
development includes eight component industries:, 
four that primarily restore the natural environment 
(ecosystems, watersheds, fisheries, and farms), 
plus four that mainly restore the built environment 
(brownfields, infrastructure, heritage, and disasters/ 
wars). 

Retirement Enclaves - Communities designed 
for seniors who are active, healthy and able to live 
without assistance. They generally consist of homes, 
condominiums, town houses, apartments, and/or 
mobile and motor homes where residents maintain 
an independent lifestyle. Some communities offer 
only minimal services such as building and grounds 
maintenance, and security. The residential units 
may be rented on a monthly basis or owned as 
condominiums or cooperatives. Basically they are no 
different from other residential enclaves except that 
there is an age restriction (over 55) or an age target. 

Retirement Years - The years after an individual stops 
working, generally starting between 55 and 70, and 
continuing until death. 


Reuse - Practices that find alternate uses or alternate 
avenues for use of an item rather than expending 
energy to dispose it or alter its form by recycling or 
composting. Examples would be donating used books 
and magazines to a nursing home, using the fronts 
of Christmas cards to make new cards, using plastic 
margarine tubs to hold leftovers or craft supplies, 
donating clothing to charity. 

ReVA - EPA’s Regional Vulnerability Assessment 
Program. 

Reverse Migration - Describes the phenomenon of 
older Americans leaving retirement communities to 
return back to their original home community. 

Risk Assessment - The process of establishing 
information regarding acceptable levels of a risk and/or 
levels of risk for an individual, group, society, or the 
environment. 

Risk Management - The process of evaluating and 
selecting alternative regulatory and non-regulatory 
responses to risk. The selection process necessarily 
requires the consideration of legal, economic, and 
behavioral factors. 

Runoff - The flow of water, usually from precipitation, 
which is not absorbed into the ground. It flows across 
the land and eventually runs to stream channels, lakes, 
oceans, or depressions or lowpoints in the Earth’s 
surface. The characteristics that affect the rate of 
runoff include rainfall duration and intensity as well as 
the ground’s slope, soil type, and ground cover. Runoff 
can pick up pollutants from the air and land, carrying, 
them into the streams, lakes, etc. 

Scale - Extent covered by a study or data set; typically 
used to refer to time (temporal scale) or geography 
(spatial scale). 

Scenario - A technical term usually used to describe 
an image of the future deliberately crafted for planning 
or foresight purposes. It should be rooted in identifiable 
trends or emerging issues data that are extrapolated 
and organized using an explicit theory of social 
change. It should describe how changes created the 
particular future present out of the past, and offer 
a vivid, provocative, accessible picture of how the 
future present differs from today. Scenarios are often 
evaluated in terms of plausibility and probability; they 
should contain both opportunities and threats - they 
are statements of possible future outcomes. 


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Glossary 


Sediment - Mud, sand, silt, clay, shell debris, and 
other particles that settle on the bottom of rivers, lakes, 
estuaries, and oceans. 

Sedimentation - The removal, transport, and 
deposition of detached sediment particles by wind or 
water. 

SEE Program - EPA’s Senior Environmental 
Employment Program established under Public 
Law 98-313 to allow the EPA to award grants to, or 
enter into Cooperative Agreements with nonprofit 
organizations (grantees) (designated by the Secretary 
of Labor under Title V of the Older Americans Act of 
1965) to provide technical assistance to federal, state, 
and/or local environmental agencies for projects of 
pollution, prevention, abatement, and control. The 
grantees then recruit program participants (enrollees) 
matching their skills to temporary assignments, 
which may be full time or part-time. An enrollee is an 
individual, at least 55 years of age, who is enrolled 
under such a grant or Cooperative Agreement, and 
who is engaged in providing technical assistance to 
EPA, and other federal, state or local agencies. The 
program is not intended to, and does not compete 
with the Civil Service hiring or compensation systems. 
Enrollees are used to support, not supplant, federal 
employees. 

Sentinel Cohort - A group of individuals having 
a statistical factor (such as age) in common in a 
demographic or epidemiological study in which effects 
from environmental contaminant(s) may be interpreted , 
as indicators of similar disturbances in other groups. 

Sentinel Species - A species in which effects from 
environmental contaminant(s) may be interpreted as 
indicators of similar disturbances in other species (e.g., 
the “canary in the mine”). 

Septic System - An on-site system designed to treat 
and dispose of domestic sewage. A typical septic 
system consists of a tank that receives waste from a 
residence or business and a system of tile lines or a pit 
for disposal of the liquid effluent (sludge) that remains 
after decomposition of the solids by bacteria in the 
sewage effluent. 

Skewed - A skewed distribution is not symmetric. That 
is, it has different shapes on each side of the median. 



Smart Growth - A more sustainable and holistic 
model for urban growth that aims to limit low-density 
development on the urban fringe while creating more 
livable neighborhoods in urban and suburban areas. 

A key component of smart growth is focusing new 
medium and high density development in compact 
areas near frequent and reliable public transportation, 
so that people who live, work, shop, or visit the 
neighborhood will have viable options besides a private 
car. 

Social Amenities - Features that contribute to the 
attractiveness of a piece of real estate or a geographic 
location such as parks, school health facilities, sanitary 
facilities, libraries, social welfare, public transportation 
and water. 

Social Capital - Refers to the connection among 
individuals and the relationships that can be 
economically valuable. Social networks that include 
people who trust and assist each other can be a 
powerful asset. Social capital is a key component to 
building and maintaining democracy. The term “capital” 
is used by analogy with other forms of economic 
capital, as social capital is argued to have similar 
(although less measurable) benefits, and as a result is 
now considered by institutions such as the World Bank 
in deciding policy. 

Social Marketers - Use the same marketing principles 
that were being used to sell products to consumers 
to “sell” ideas, attitudes and behaviors. Kotler and 
Andreasen define social marketing as “differing from 
other areas of marketing only with respect to the 
objectives of the marketer and his or her organization. 
Social marketing seeks to influence social behaviors 
not to benefit the marketer, but to benefit the target 
audience and the general society.” This technique has 
been used extensively in international health programs, 
especially for contraceptives and oral rehydration 
therapy (ORT), and is being used with more frequency 
in the U.S. for such diverse topics as drug abuse, heart 
disease and organ donation. 

Social Mindscapes - Mental models that are held by 
communities or cultures. The mental models are similar 
in concept to landscapes in that they contain an array 
of individual mental models (individual owner land-use) 
that collectively define the beliefs, norms, and mores 
of the community or culture. The term was coined by E. 
Zerubavel. 


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Appendix D 


Social Sciences - The study of human society and 
individual relationships in and to society. Social 
sciences include sociology, psychology, anthropology, 
economics, and political science. 

Social Scientist - Social scientists study all. aspects 
of society—from past events and achievements to 
human behavior and relationships among groups. 

Their research provides insights that help us 
understand different ways in which individuals and 
groups make decisions, exercise power, and respond . 
to change. Through their studies and analyses, social 
scientists suggest solutions to social, business, 
personal, governmental, and environmental problems. 
Social science occupations include anthropologists, 
archaeologists, geographers, historians, political 
scientists, sociologists, economists, market and survey 
researchers, psychologists, and urban and regional 
planners. 

Socioeconomic Factors - Include ethnicity, sense 
of community, personal income, education level, and 
occupation. 

Sociologist - A social scientist that studies the 
institutions and development of human society. 

Solid Waste - Non-liquid, non-soluble materials 
ranging from municipal garbage to industrial wastes 
that contain complex and sometimes hazardous 
substances. Solid wastes also include sewage sludge, 
agricultural refuse, demolition wastes, and mining 
residues. Technically, solid waste also refers to liquids 
and gases in containers. 

Source Waters - The source of drinking water in- your 
community, whether it is from ground or surface water. 

Sovereign Indian Nation - Indian tribes are distinct 
political entities—governments with executive, 
legislative, and judicial powers. Membersof the tribes 
may be citizens of both their Indian nation and the U.S. 
Sovereignty is an internationally recognized power 
of a nation to govern itself. The framers of the U.S. 
Constitution specifically recognized the sovereignty 
of Indian tribes. In Article 1, section 8, clause 3 
of the Constitution, Congress is identified as the 
governmental branch authorized to regulate commerce 
with “foreign nations, among the several states, and 
with the Indian tribes.” The Supreme Court reaffirmed 
this legal and political standing of Indian nations in a 
set of three 19th Century court decisions known as the 
Marshall Trilogy. These cases serve as cornerstones to 
understanding Indian sovereignty in the U.S. political 
system as a clearly defined legal status that has 
constitutional standing. 


Spatial Scale - Provides a “shorthand” form for 
discussing relative lengths, areas, distances and 
sizes. Examples of different scales are: local, regional, 
continental and global. 

Sprawl - Unplanned development of open land. 

Stakeholder - Any organization, governmental entity, 
or individual that has a stake in or may be impacted by 
a given approach to environmental regulation, pollution 
prevention, energy conservation, etc. 

Statin Drug - A class of drugs that lowers the level 
of cholesterol in the blood by reducing the production 
of cholesterol by the liver. Statins block the enzyme in 
the liver that is responsible for making cholesterol. This 
enzyme is called hydroxy-methylglutaryl-coenzyme 
A reductase (HMG-CoA reductase for short). 
Scientifically, statins are called HMG-CoA reductase 
inhibitors. Cholesterol is critical to the normal function 
of every cell in the body. However, it also contributes 
to the development of atherosclerosis, a condition 
in which cholesterol-containing plaques form within 
the arteries. These plaques block the arteries and 
reduce the flow of blood to the tissues the arteries 
supply. When plaques rupture, a blood clot forms 
on the plaque, thereby further blocking the artery 
and reducing the flow of blood. When blood flow is 
reduced sufficiently in the arteries that supply blood to 
the heart, the result is angina (chest pain) or a heart 
attack. If the clot occurs on plaques in the brain, the 
result is a stroke. Clots occurring on plaques in the leg 
cause intermittent claudication (pain in the legs while 
walking). By reducing the production of cholesterol, 
statins are able to reduce the formation of new plaques 
and occasionally can reduce the size of plaques that 
already exist. In addition, through mechanisms that are 
not well understood, statins also stabilize plaques and 
make them less prone to rupturing and forming clots. 

Stewardship - The concept of land as a resource, our 
responsibility to wisely manage that resource, and our 
responsibility to preserve and protect the condition of 
that resource for future generations. 

Stormwater - Runoff from streets, parking lots, parks, 
as well as agricultural and urban areas into a water 
body. 

Stream Re-Meandering - Returning channelized and 
straightened streams to their natural, meandering, 
sinuous forms. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
uses the term remeandering extensively in Florida, 
where they have been returning the St. Johns and 
other rivers to their natural form. Stream power studies 
have identified equations that can be used to describe 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 


170 




Glossary 


what the sinuosity should be for various streams 
based on slope, geology and soils, watershed size and 
gradient, etc. 

Stressor - Any physical, chemical, or biological entity 
that can induce an adverse response (or stress). 

Subsistence Fishing - Fishing activity solely to 
provide fish for personal or family consumption and not 
for sale or exchange, but does not include recreational 
• fishing. 

Superfund - The better-known name for the 
Comprehensive Environmental Response, 
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) passed 
by Congress in 1980. Under this law, parties found 
responsible for polluting a site must clean up the 
contamination or reimburse the EPA for doing so. 
Liability is strict, retroactive, joint and'several. 

Surface Water - Water found over the land surface 
in rivers, streams, creeks, lakes, ponds, marshes, or 
oceans. 

Susceptibility - The inability to withstand a specific 
environmental or chemical stress, disease, specified 
pest or pathogen. 

Susceptible Population - Certain subgroups of 
the population may be more susceptible to the toxic 
effects of environmental contaminants or to particular 
infectious diseases. These may include children (<6 
years old), pregnant women, the elderly, and people 
with pre-existing diseases. 

Sustainable Development - Development that meets 
the needs of the present without compromising the 
ability of future generations to meet their own needs. 

Sustainable Environment for Quality of life (SEQL) 

- A 2-state (North Carolina-South Carolina), 15 
county, 85 municipality area that is considering the 
impacts of air and water quality on the population and 
environment. 

Symbiotic - A phenomenon where two different 
organisms live together in a mutually beneficial 
relationship. Both organisms provide each other with 
food, protection, or some other survival need. The most 
famous example is the anemone and clownfish.The 
anemone provides protection to the clownfish within 
its stinging tentacles, and the clownfish provides the 

anemone with scraps of food. 

• 

Temporal Scale - Duration or period of time. 
Ecosystem response to a stressor may occur very 


slowly, e.g., over decades or centuries, or organisms 
may suffer immediate effects. For example, the 
temporal scale for ecosystems may be: seconds 
(photosynthesis, prokaryotic reproduction); weeks 
(recolonization from upstream after a fire); years 
(revegetation after a fire); or decades (global climate 
change, revegetation after landslides or volcanization). 

Terrestrial ecosystem - An integrated representation 
of the ecological relationship between climate, soil 
and vegetation (e.g., arid, grassland, and forest 
ecosystems. 

Threshold - The dose or exposure level below which 
a significant adverse effect is not expected. 

Tipping Points - Thresholds in stressor levels or 
ecological effects beyond which the ecological systems 
change state. 

Topography - The configuration of a surface area 
including its relief, or relative elevations, and position of 
its natural and manmade features. 

Total Population - The population of the U.S. 
including all members of the Armed Forces living in 
foreign countries, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. 
Virgin Islands. Other Americans living abroad (for . 
example civilian Federal employees and dependents 
of members of the Armed Forces or other Federal 
employees) are not included. 

Toxicity - The degree to which a substance or mixture 
of substances can harm humans or animals. Acute 
toxicity involves harmful effects in an organism through 
a single or short-term exposure. Chronic toxicity is 
the ability of a substance or mixture of substances to 
cause harmful effects over an extended period, usually 
upon repeated or continuous exposure sometimes 
lasting for the entire life of the exposed organism. 

Transportation Corridor - A geographic area that is 
defined by major highway and rail facilities, and major 
flows of travel. Transportation corridors are identified 
for the purpose of analyzing the patterns and flows of 
traffic between origins and destinations. 

Tribal Council - The elected body of officials charged 
with responsibility for managing the government and 
related affairs of the tribal nation. The tribal council 
is comprised of tribal members who are elected to 
their positions, and are responsible for drafting and 
maintaining the ordinances which govern the tribe and 
its business. The tribal council may be the entity to 
approve for ordinances that allow loan programs to be 
made available to tribal' members. 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 171 











Appendix D 


Uncertainty - A lack of knowledge about certain 
factors in a study which can reduce the confidence 
in conclusions drawn from data in that study; it is 
opposed to variability which is a result of true variation 
in characteristics of the environment; and risk, which 
refers to a situation in which an individual knows the 
possible outcomes that will occur and the probability 
of each outcome occurring. Uncertainty refers to a 
situation in which the individual is ignorant of all the 
possible outcomes, the probability associated with 
known outcomes, or both. 

Universal Access - Simplifies life for everyone 
by making products, communications and the built 
environment more usable by as many people as 
possible at little or no extra cost. Universal Design 
benefits people of all ages and abilities. 

Uranium - A very heavy (dense) metal which can be 
used as an abundant source of concentrated energy. 
Uranium was apparently formed in super novae about 
6.6 billion years ago. While it is not common in the 
solar system, today its radioactive decay provides 
the main source of heat inside the earth, causing 
convection and continental drift. Its melting point is 
1132°C. The chemical symbol for uranium is U. 

U.S. Bureau of the Census - Collects and publishes 
demographic data about the population of the U.S. 

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - 

Administers programs that provide services to farmers 
(including research and soil conservation and efforts to 
stabilize the farming economy). 

Variable - A characteristic that varies in value or 
magnitude along which an object, individual or group 
may be categorized, such as income or age. 

Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) - A measure of the 
extent of motor vehicle operation; the total number of 
vehicle miles traveled within a specific geographic area 
over a given period of time. 

VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) - A 

program that places individuals with community- 
based agencies to help find long-term solutions to the 
problems caused by urban and rural poverty. 

Visualization - The art or science of transforming 
information to a form “comprehensible” by the sense of 
sight. Visualization is broadly associated with graphical 
display in the form of pictures (printed or photo), 
workstation displays, or video. 


Vulnerability - Susceptibility to degradation or 
damage from adverse factors or influences. 

Vulnerability Analysis - Assessment of elements in 
the community that are susceptible to damage from 
various stressors. 

Walkability - Areas that are walkable and are 
safe, comfortable, interesting and accessible. They 
offer amenities such as wide sidewalks, attractive 
storefronts that face the sidewalk, shade, shelter 
and a sense of spatial enclosure provided through . 
landscaping and streetscape elements. These areas 
are inviting to pedestrians for shopping, recreation and 
relaxation. 

Walkable - Refers to a single route, or a system of 
routes, between points that is relatively short, barrier- 
free, interesting, safe, well-lighted and comfortable, 
inviting pedestrian travel. 

Wastewater - The used water and solids from a 
community (including used water from industrial 
processes) that flow to a treatment plant. Stormwater, 
surface water, and groundwater infiltration also may be 
included in the wastewater that enters a wastewater 
treatment plant. The term sewage usually refers to 
household wastes, but this word is being replaced by 
the term wastewater. 

Wastewater Treatment - Any of the mechanical, 
chemical or biological processes used to modify 
the quality of wastewater in order to make it more 
compatible or acceptable to humans and the 
environment. 

Water Feature - Either still or moving water (e.g., 
fountains, streams, waterspouts, waterfalls, formal or 
informal ponds, bogs, wetlands, or container water 
gardens). 

Watershed - The area of land that catches rain and 
snow and drains or seeps into a marsh, stream, river, 
lake or groundwater. 

Wellness Programs - Programs designed to educate 
individuals or groups about the connection between 
good health habits and quality of life. These programs 
focus on achieving health benefits through positive 
changes in physical, psychological or social areas of 
life. 

Wetland - A type of ecosystem, generally occurring 
between upland and deepwater areas, that provides 
many important functions, including fish and wildlife 
habitat, flood protection, erosion control, water quality 


Proceedings I August 10-12, 2004 I Research Triangle Park, NC 


172 




maintenance, and recreational opportunities. A 
wetland is an area that is covered by water or has 
water-saturated soil during a portion of the growing 
season. In general, it is often considered the 
transitional area between permanently wet and dry 
environments. 



Yellow perch - Generally a freshwater fish, but have 
adapted to the estuarine waters of Chesapeake Bay 
and have historically been reported in all of its major 
tributaries and streams. Their general coloring tends 
to be brassy green to golden yellow on their sides and 
white to yellow on their belly. Their most distinguishing 
feature is 6-8 dark vertical bands that are found across 
their back and sides. Their anal, pelvic, and pectoral 
fins are red to orange, with these colors being brightest 
in males during the spawning season. These fish 
are also characterized by having a dorsal fin that is 
completely divided into a spiny portion and a separate 
soft-rayed portion, and an anal fin with two long and 
slender spines. On the Atlantic coast, yellow perch 
range from South Carolina north to Nova Scotia. They 
can also be found west through the southern Hudson 
Bay region to Saskatchewan, and south to the northern 
half of the Mississippi drainage. 

Young-Old - A sub-group of the elderly population 
that researchers often use to refer to persons between 
65 and 74 years old. 

Zoning - The ability of local governments to specify 
the use of private property in order to control 
development within designated areas of land. For 
example, some areas of a neighborhood may be 
designated only for residential use and others for 
commercial use such as stores, gas stations, etc. 

Zoomburb - A city in the suburbs growing faster than 
a boomburb. 


Aging Americans: Impacts on Ecology and Environmental Quality Workshop 


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